Evolution
by transmutejun
Summary: Princess doesn't feel quite like herself... and neither does Mark. Rated M for sexual situations.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The girl leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath and willing her body to relax. It worked for a moment, but then the intense cramping feeling began again. This time, the contraction was so severe that she found herself sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. For the next sixty seconds, all she could do was ride the wave of pain, waiting for its inevitable subsiding.

"You're doing just fine." her mother encouraged her. You've made it a long time without any medication. Just let me know if you want anything."

"I want Bryn!" the girl muttered through her teeth, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice. _He_ should be the one here with her now, holding her hand during the more intense contractions and helping her remember her breathing techniques.

But Bryn was dead. He had never even known that he was going to be a father. His parents had discovered that she was involved with him, and had immediately taken him away from Earth. No mere _human_ would _ever_ be good enough for _their_ Bryn, who was a descendant of alien nobility. Not only that, they had arranged a bride for him 'back home', and had been horrified to discover that their son's interests lay elsewhere.

Unfortunately, Bryn and his parents had been killed when their interplanetary transport had been destroyed by a Spectran warship. The act of aggression had been a surprise, and had been followed by similar attacks on neighboring planetary systems. In the months that had followed, a number of planets had joined together to form a loose federation. Already there was a military force being discussed, in order to defend themselves against the increasingly aggressive Spectran Empire. Within a couple of years, the Red Rangers were expected to have conquered the Spectrans.

But none of this mattered to the girl. She had been left alone, unmarried and pregnant, a laughingstock among her friends. Fortunately, she had had the support of her family during her entire pregnancy.

Thank goodness for that. She didn't know what she would have done without her mother there to help her. Her father had been concerned, and kind, as well. Her brother William had saved her sanity more often than she liked to think.

It had been a difficult pregnancy. Despite Earth's increasingly frequent interaction with other planets, mixed species pregnancies were still a rarity, and the girl had had to go to Center City, seeking out the few specialists in alien obstetrics who were located on Earth.

Complications had arisen, and the girl had been placed on bedrest at the beginning of her second trimester, as too much movement could cause the onset of early labor. Not only that, but the drug regimen was incredible. Apparently there was some risk that her body would reject the baby, because of its alien makeup, which necessitated the preventative medication. She would have gone out of her mind with boredom if it hadn't been for William. He was older than she, and had just begun a job at Galaxy Security, working for this new Federation. He was researching some kind of new transforming fabric… the girl had never figured out what it was supposed to transform into, though. Apparently that was top secret. But every night, when he got home, William would spend all of his free time with his sister, telling her about what was going on in the rest of the world, while she was stuck in a small room, day after day.

But now, that was coming to an end. She was forty-four weeks along (the specialists had told her that this was still slightly premature, given the baby's alien DNA) and labor had _finally_ begun. Despite the pain, the girl was relieved to be allowed to walk again, even if only to assist the contractions, and soon she would hold her baby in her arms.

Their baby was her last link to Bryn… she would be a good mother, and tell her baby about him, explaining why he wasn't there as the child grew.

Another contraction tore through her body, and she began to wonder if she should have accepted the medication she had been offered. It wasn't as if she had had a drug-free pregnancy, after all. So why had natural childbirth been so important to her?

This time, the pain did not recede, but instead carried her along, into the center of its whirling maelstrom, until she cried out, and everything went black.

88888

The Doctor walked down the hallway. This was the most difficult part of his job, and it was something he particularly dreaded. But as the most senior member of the medical staff, this duty clearly fell to him. Still, there was _some_ good news. He just hoped that he could convince them of that.

As he approached he saw the girl's family. An older woman was sitting on one of the hard, plastic waiting room chairs, wiping at red-rimmed eyes with nervous hands. Her husband was in the chair next to her, a protective arm around the woman's shoulders. A younger man with glasses stood next to the couple, looking as worried as the other two put together.

"Mr. and Mrs. Anderson?" the Doctor asked politely. "I am Dr. Coventry. I was in charge of the medical team that assisted with your daughter's delivery."

"How is she?" asked the older woman anxiously. "How is my Emily?"

This was it. No matter how many times the Doctor had had to deliver this kind of news, and fortunately it hadn't been _that_ many times, it never came easily to him. He decided to just get it over with as quickly as possible.

"I'm afraid that Emily suffered from a placental abruption, along with varied other complications." Coventry sighed. "There was just too much bleeding, among other things." The Doctor took a deep breath before continuing.

"Emily did not survive the delivery."

The family had obviously been expecting such a possibility, but they were still devastated to hear the words coming from the Doctor's mouth.

"My Emily…" cried the older woman, sobbing on her husband's shoulder, even as he looked up in bewilderment at Coventry.

"What do we do, now?" he asked plaintively.

The young man turned to the Doctor, his expression grave.

"What about the baby?" he asked. "Did my sister's baby survive?"

"Yes." Coventry nodded, relieved to be past the worst of the discussion. "We were able to save the baby, although it was touch and go there for awhile."

"That's what we'll do then, Dad." the man said to his father. "We will take care of Emily's child… _your grandchild_."

"My grandchild…" the woman appeared hopeful. "Is the baby a boy, or a girl, Doctor?"

"A girl." Dr. Coventry replied. "You have a beautiful baby granddaughter."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"So, anyway, Pamela said she had a friend, and wondered if I knew anyone I could bring along." Jason said in a manner so casual it revealed the great importance of this matter to him.

"I don't think so, Jason." Mark brushed off his friend. "I'm just not interested in…"

"In getting laid?" Jason smirked. "What the hell is wrong with you, Mark? If this girl is _anything_ like Pamela, you're _guaranteed_ to score!"

The Commander merely scowled.

The Condor contemplated the Eagle for a moment.

"Or… maybe it's not a _girl_ you want to score with…"

"Get your mind out of the gutter!" scowled Mark. "Just because I'm not interested in some one night stand, with a girl who will throw herself at anything in pants, does _not_ mean that I'm gay!"

"Touchy, touchy!" Jason grinned, holding up his hands in mock defeat.

"Just leave me alone, Jason." Mark sighed, dropping his head into his hands. Why couldn't Jason just let it be? How many times had Mark told him that he didn't _want_ to double date? And yet, Jason still kept asking, as if he were doing Mark a favor.

It wasn't that Mark didn't like girls… well… okay, he had never actually been interested in girls _that_ way. But one thing the Commander knew for certain was that he was _not_ interested in boys either. The problem was that Mark wasn't interested in _anyone_. Not that it was really a problem, per se. In the Commander's line of work, it was actually more like an advantage.

Not that Jason would ever see it that way.

"What's wrong, Mark?"

The Commander looked up from his seat, realizing that he was still holding his head a bare inch above the Formica-topped table. Princess stood next to him, holding a tray of dirty glasses, clearly concerned.

"Nothing's wrong, Princess." Mark mumbled, as the Swan's green eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Whatever you say, Mark." she replied, her tone indicating that she didn't believe him. Princess picked up their empty glasses from the table in front of them and returned to the bar, where she began helping Jill wash the dishes.

"So _that's_ it!" Jason smirked. It was clear that the Condor was not done needling the Eagle. "You're interested in _Princess_! I knew it! _That's_ why you don't want to go out with Pamela's friend!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Jason!" Mark snapped. "Princess is the _last_ person I'd be interested in!"

The Commander had not intended to speak so loudly, but the quiet sob from across the room was clearly audible, thanks to his implant. He turned to see Princess' green eyes brimming over with tears, before she rushed out of the room and up the stairs that led to her living quarters.

Mark dropped his head all of the way down to the table, burying his face in his arms. He hadn't intended to hurt Princess… he quite liked her, actually. She was vivacious and caring and smart and fun, not to mention a hell of an asset to the G-Force team.

Mark just didn't like her _that_ way.

"Way to go." Jason rolled his eyes to emphasize his sarcasm. "Even if you're _not_ interested in her, Mark, you shouldn't hurt her feelings like that! You _know_ she's got a little crush on you!" The Condor scowled to emphasize the point of his lecture.

"She _does_?" Mark was surprised.

"You really _are_ thick when it comes to women, aren't you?" Jason sighed in disappointment. "Everyone else can see it. Hell, even Zark can see it! Everyone can… except _you_."

The Commander did not reply.

"You really should give her a chance." Jason encouraged him. "Princess is smart and fun, not to mention a knockout… both literally and figuratively."

"If Princess is so great, why don't _you_ ask her out?" Mark replied sourly.

"I don't know…" Jason said thoughtfully. "I love Princess. I really do. But… she's more like a _sister_ to me. Know what I mean?"

Mark sat up and nodded, eager to accept the excuse Jason had given him.

"Yeah, to me too." he agreed, hoping that was the end of the subject at hand.

88888

Princess lay on her bed, drying her tears on her pillow. She couldn't believe what she had heard Mark say! Well… maybe she could.

It was time to face up to the fact that the Commander just didn't like her that way. Of course, Princess had always hoped that he did, ever since she had first developed a crush on Mark at the tender age of thirteen. But he had never looked at her as anything more than a friend, albeit a close friend whom Mark occasionally confided in.

In a way, Princess had come to accept this status quo, but today, hearing it blurted out like that right in front of her… it had hurt. It had hurt much more than Princess had expected it would, on those nights when she had lain awake, wondering how Mark really felt about her.

The fact that this was so painful told her that while she had managed to push her feelings for her Commander aside, they had not diminished. If anything, Princess had developed even more of an emotional attachment to Mark. Ironically, it had been Princess' ability to focus solely on their _friendship_ that had allowed her relationship with Mark to deepen. Even before the Commander's comment this afternoon, it had been clear to Princess that Mark would have shied away from spending time with her if he had suspected that she harbored romantic interests.

Princess rolled over, rubbing her eyes with her fists. Her head was pounding, and she felt feverish. Fortunately, she didn't have a shift at Jill's that night. She didn't think she could face Mark again, and if she were sick it would just be worse.

Princess buried her face in her pillow, before falling asleep.

88888

The Swan awoke the next morning to the sound of her communicator beeping. Princess blinked in the bright sunlight. Checking the time, she realized that she had slept for close to fourteen hours. Yet, she still felt tired, and when she sat up to answer her bracelet call, a wave of dizziness passed over her. Gritting her teeth, she spoke into her wrist.

"Ears on."

"Princess, I need you to come to my office immediately." came Chief Anderson's voice.

"On my way." Princess replied, shaking off her lightheadedness. The Swan stood, ready for duty.

Her illness would have to wait.

88888

Princess arrived at the Chief's office feeling a lot better. Somehow, riding her motorcycle had relaxed her, and caused her dizziness and fever to ease. The familiar feel of the G3 machine underneath her had been soothing, and her illness had receded somewhat. Or perhaps it had been the cool breeze.

Whatever it was, Princess felt like her usual self again, if a bit restless.

When Mark and Jason walked in, Princess stayed as far away from them as possible, moving to the opposite side of the room to sit next to Keyop. She didn't even look at the Eagle or the Condor, for fear that she would burst into tears.

"What is it this time, Chief?" asked Tiny.

"Let me guess: the Happiness Boys are back again." Jason rolled his eyes.

"As a matter of fact, yes." Chief Anderson replied, clearly missing the sarcasm the Condor had intended. "A strange spacecraft has been spotted in the vicinity of Madagascar. Apparently it is destroying vast acres of farmland and crops, and terrorizing the local citizens."

"Breet… broot… Madagascar?" Keyop was confused.

"Madagascar is the Federation's primary source of quadriline." Princess offered. "Perhaps Zoltar wants to destroy those resources, or capture them for himself."

"That was my thought as well, Princess." Anderson nodded approvingly. "And since quadriline is the primary ingredient in the Phoenix's exterior coolant…"

"Wait a minute!" Tiny cried, obviously upset. "You mean, without this quadriline stuff, we won't be able to use the Fiery Phoenix?"

"That's the short of it." the Chief confirmed.

"Obviously we've got Zoltar on the run," Jason smirked, "if he's _that_ scared of the Fiery Phoenix."

"He's only on the run if we stop him." Mark pointed out.

"Exactly, Commander." the Chief acknowledged. "Get going!"

The team stood as one, saluting their father and mentor.

"G-Force!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Onboard the Phoenix, Princess sat down at her station, just as she began to feel dizzy again. As he boarded, Jason stopped next to her chair, bending over slightly so that he could whisper into her ear without Keyop overhearing.

"Princess, listen… about what Mark said yesterday…"

Princess stiffened, and Jason could hear her sharp intake of breath. He chose to forge ahead anyway, knowing that he only had a few moments before the Commander finished receiving his last minute instructions from Chief Anderson in the Docking Bay.

"Look, the guy is clueless, alright?"

Princess sighed softly, and Jason could see her head nodding slightly. Encouraged, he took a deep breath and continued.

"I was worried about you, when I saw you run out of Jill's. I wanted to go after you, but figured it probably wasn't such a great idea."

"Thanks." muttered Princess quietly, a hint of pink staining her cheeks.

Jason noticed how the soft color really lit up the Swan's face. In fact, she was looking _very_ pretty today. The Condor had never noticed how perfect her skin was… like peaches and cream…

Suddenly, Jason found himself wondering how Princess' skin would taste. He felt an overwhelming urge to press his mouth to her cheek…

"Okay, everyone, let's go!" the Commander ordered as he walked onto the Bridge.

Jason grinned to himself. He would have to investigate Princess' more _charming_ attributes later.

"Just remember that there are _other_ options out there." he whispered, gratified to see Princess' head jerk up as she correctly interpreted his meaning. Her eyes followed him curiously to his station, and when he sat down he sent a saucy wink in her direction.

Princess shifted nervously in her seat. Had Jason _really_ meant to imply…?

She turned to glance at him, and the Condor winked at her. Despite herself, the Swan felt a pleasant thrill run through her body, and her feverish heat, which a moment ago had been so distressing, now seemed to be an almost comforting sensation.

Jason certainly wasn't an 'option' she had ever thought of before. He had always been like an older brother to her: caring, protective and loving… but never in _that_ kind of way.

What had happened to change his attitude like that?

For that matter, what was happening to _her_?

Perhaps… perhaps it had been hearing Mark blurt out his true feelings the day before. Her heart clung to her Commander, but her mind appeared to be moving on.

Was that entirely a bad thing?

Princess' gaze fell upon the Eagle, sitting stiffly at the front of the Phoenix. She could tell from the way he was holding himself that he was feeling uncomfortable.

Good. After his rude comment yesterday, he _deserved_ to be a little uncomfortable. Princess smirked to herself, then turned to catch Jason watching her, She smiled shyly, blushing, and he grinned wickedly at her.

This sudden change in attitude of the Condor's had come at a most opportune time.

But as she faced her console again, the numbers in front of the Swan began swimming around, and Princess found it difficult to concentrate. Her fever returned with a vengeance, and it was all she could do to make sense of the data being displayed on her screen.

"Is there any sign of the Spectran ship?" Mark asked her, and Princess scrambled to give him an answer.

"I… I don't see anything…" she mumbled. "Wait! There's something here now…"

The Swan sent a pleading look in the Swallow's direction. Thankfully, he understood her request for help.

"Doot… dreet… Thirty kilometers… due east…" Keyop reported.

"Thanks, Keyop." the Eagle replied, turning to scrutinize the Swan. Princess was looking rather pale, and seemed to be having difficulty sitting upright in her seat. Mark was concerned. He was about to ask her what was going on when Tiny yelped loudly.

"What the heck _is_ that thing?" the Owl cried.

"Breet… broot… ice cream!" snickered Keyop.

"I think you're right, Squirt!" Jason laughed. "It looks like an ice cream cone to me too! What do you say we just sit back and let Tiny handle this one?"

"Hee hee hee..." giggled the Swallow. "Tiny… dreet… eat it all up!"

"I don't think I want to be tasting any Spectran quadriline ice cream!" Tiny protested. "Besides, I've got some good old Rocky Road waiting for me in the Ready Room back at Center Neptune!"

Even as the G-Force team watched, the mecha ice cream cone began to rain what looked like giant rainbow sprinkles down to the ground below. However, unlike ordinary ice cream parlor confections, these sprinkles exploded with brilliant flashes, decimating the abundant crops below.

"Jason, can you get a lock on that thing?" Mark asked sharply.

"No!" the Condor replied in disbelief. "It's got some kind of anti-missile shields that are preventing me from establishing a target lock! I can't even do it manually because it's somehow fooling the sensors into thinking that it's not there!"

"Damn!" Jason pounded his fist on his console in frustration.

"Okay, we'll just have to take it down from the inside, then." the Commander stated calmly. He looked over at the Swan, who was as white as her wings.

"Jason, you and I will take this one." Mark ordered.

Princess was incredibly grateful that Mark had not chosen her to accompany him onboard the mecha. Not only was she not ready to face him after his comment of the previous day, but she could barely see straight, and didn't think she would be able to stand, much less fly down to a moving Spectran mecha.

Behind her, she heard Jason get up and follow Mark to the elevation platform at the back of the Bridge, the two of them passing by her seat as they left.

Mark walked past Princess, noticing her tremble slightly. Whatever was wrong with her was serious. The Commander made a mental note to himself to ensure that Princess was checked out by the Medical Bay on their return to Center Neptune.

Mark leaned over to say something to Princess, taking a deep breath before he spoke. But seeing her body shake, he thought better of his action and decided to postpone speaking with her until _after_ the mission. After all, he _did_ have to apologize for his comment yesterday. Even though Mark wasn't interested in Princess romantically, he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

As he and Jason left the Phoenix, the Commander found his thoughts lingering on the Swan. Something was wrong with her… but what was it? Mark had to fight a sudden urge to return to the ship and take Princess in his arms, stroking her hair until her pain went away. And then, he would stroke her body, feeling her soft skin beneath his hand…

What the hell was going on with him? What was he thinking?

Mark shook his head to clear it. This was _hardly_ the time or the place to be contemplating such a thing.

The Eagle and the Condor leapt off of the Phoenix's blue hull, gliding down to the spacecraft below and using the Condor's blowtorch to create an opening on the cone of the ice cream mecha, to allow them entrance.

Once onboard, they searched for the source of the mecha's power, hoping to disable its shields. Since neither of them was very good at hacking into Spectran computer systems, they had to perform a physical search.

"I wish Princess were here." Jason commented. "She could find the power core in about a minute, and while she did, I could check out the view from behind as she bent over…"

"What?" Mark was taken aback. "_Princess_? I thought you said that she was like a sister to you!" The Commander found that he was inexplicably angered by his second's crass comment.

"Not anymore…" Jason grinned. "I'm seeing her in a whole new light. And since _you're_ not interested…"

Mark didn't know what to say. He wasn't interested in Princess. He had just been thinking that to himself less than thirty minutes ago. He had clearly made this known at Jill's less than twenty-four hours before.

So why was he suddenly having doubts?

"I think this is it." the Commander said, relieved to have an excuse to change the subject. "This appears to be the location of the power core."

"I think they agree with your assessment." the Condor smirked, pointing at the squadron of green-uniformed troops rushing toward their position.

Mark nodded grimly, unsheathing his Sonic Boomerang and hurling it at the oncoming soldiers as he leapt upward to greet them. Jason released a flurry of feather shuriken, whirling through the air, striking out at anyone who approached and felling them with deadly accuracy and speed. The Commander landed on top of two goons' heads, crushing their skulls with his heels as he jumped off, flipping over and catching his Sonic Boomerang before alighting on the floor to watch the soldiers who had tasted the power of his weapon fall to the ground.

In less than a minute, the fight was over, and only two men were left standing. Jason turned and grinned at Mark, his exhilaration clearly evident on his face.

"Well, now that we've enjoyed the pre-show…" he joked.

"Let's get to the main event." Mark finished, smiling.

Together, the two entered the Engineering Section of the mecha, easily dispatching the few goons inside who attempted to halt their progress. Jason idly threw shuriken at the approaching soldiers while Mark tossed some explosives inside of the power core.

"That should do it!" the Commander cried, even as the first blast sounded.

"Then let's make tracks!" the Condor replied, activating his communicator. "Tiny, we need a pickup, pronto!"

"10-4!" came the cheery reply, spurring the Eagle and the Condor to run to the location where they had entered the now-doomed mecha.

"Not so fast, G-Force!" sneered a nasty-looking man who was dressed in a white shirt, pants and cap, as if he had just stepped off of an ice-cream truck. Mark supposed it was the appropriate getup for this mecha.

"Freeze!" the Ice Cream Captain shouted, as a platoon of goons behind him raised their guns and aimed them at the Eagle's and the Condor's position.

"Isn't that a little obvious?" Jason rolled his eyes. "Couldn't you come up with anything _better_ to say?"

"I will not stand for you mocking me!" ranted the Captain, but he was sent sprawling to the ground as the mecha shook and broke apart. A giant crack appeared in the wall next to them, showing the bright blue sky beyond.

"Thanks for the ice cream. Sorry we can't stay for cake!" Mark grinned as he jumped out through the crack, his second close behind. The two men spread their wings, flying to the Phoenix below them, admiring the light patterns the exploding mecha above them made on the sleek blue frame of their ship.

"Just another day at the office!" Jason grinned.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Princess took deep breaths, attempting to bring herself out off the condition she was in. If only she knew what was wrong with her! Her fever had returned, and every square inch of her skin felt itchy and tight. A sensation of restlessness permeated her body, but getting up and walking around the Phoenix Bridge had only made it worse.

Keyop and Tiny were starting to exchange nervous looks. Technically, with the Eagle and the Condor gone, the Swan was in command at this moment, but it was clear to the Swallow and the Owl that Princess was not in her usual frame of mind.

All three members of the G-Force Team sighed with relief when Tiny received Jason's call for a pickup. The mission was over, and they could go home now. Princess just wanted to crash into bed and sleep.

When Mark returned to the Phoenix, he looked over at Princess, his eyes full of concern.

"How are you feeling, Princess?" he asked kindly, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.

But that simple contact was anything but. The small area where Mark's palm was in contact with her was like an electric jolt, despite the layers of both of their Birdstyles. For a moment, it seemed as if they were connected through that single touch, and Princess gasped with the enormity of the shock.

Marks' mouth fell open, as his hand felt as if it were suddenly on fire, yet at the same time being soothed by its contact with the Swan. But it wasn't enough. The Commander suddenly wanted… no… _needed_… to rip off his glove and press his burning flesh against Princess' cool skin. This yearning filled him, taking over his mind until…

With a violence he usually reserved for Spectran troops, the Eagle tore his hand away, forcibly removing it despite every nerve in his body screaming at him to leave it be.

The moment he had lifted his hand from her he felt a sense of loss consuming him, as if something vital had forcibly been taken away. He stared at his glove, flexing his fingers for a moment, attempting to come to grips with these unexpected sensations.

Princess gasped again as Mark removed his hand, the soft rush of air sounding almost like a sob as it left her lips. Pulling herself together as much as she could, the Swan mumbled what she desperately hoped was a coherent answer.

"I'm okay."

Of course, the Commander did not believe this for a second, but he nodded curtly, too overwhelmed with his own issues at the moment to refute the Swan's statement. The Eagle stumbled slightly, backing away and moving hurriedly to his own seat at the other end of the Bridge.

"Let's get out of here." he muttered to Tiny, who obligingly activated the Phoenix's controls, sending the ship back on a path toward Center Neptune.

Mark sighed, leaning back in his chair, his fingers rubbing at his temples. He had a terrible headache. Perhaps he needed to go to the Medical Bay as well.

But by the time the G-Force Team had returned to their base, the Commander was feeling more like his usual self, and he quickly decided that whatever had happened earlier had just been momentary… likely the result of exhaustion. He hurried off of the Phoenix, giving the Swan as wide a berth as possible.

Jason saw Mark rush off, and seized the opportunity he had been given.

"Is everything all right, Princess?" he asked her, not failing to notice her shapely legs as they were exposed from underneath her pink miniskirt.

"No… I…" Princess stumbled and fell forward as she tried to rise. Keyop and Tiny jumped up, concerned, even as Jason caught the Swan in his arms. Obviously something was seriously wrong.

"I'm taking you to Medical Bay." the Condor declared, lifting Princess up and holding her protectively against him. Despite her illness, the Condor was hard pressed to ignore the rush of arousal that coursed through him, as her body nestled itself against his. Gritting his teeth, Jason did his best to push those feeling aside, cradling Princess against his chest as he leapt off of the Phoenix and landed in the Docking Bay before walking to Medical, Keyop and Tiny close behind.

"What's wrong with Princess?" came Chief Anderson's worried voice.

Jason turned to see his foster father staring at him with a concerned expression.

"She's ill. I'm taking her to Medical Bay." Jason explained. "I don't think it's from the mission, because she stayed onboard the Phoenix the entire time."

Anderson nodded, digesting this information for a moment.

"Very well." he said. "You take Princess to Medical Bay, Jason. Keyop and Tiny, I need you with me for mission debriefing."

The Swallow and the Owl opened their mouths to protest, but the Chief, anticipating this response, cut them off.

"The Commander is already waiting for us." he informed them.

Keyop and Tiny reluctantly nodded, turning and following the Chief toward his office.

Princess barely heard the voices around her. All that mattered to the Swan at that moment was the feel of her body against Jason's, and the slight rocking motion he made as he carried her down the hallway. It was very soothing, and she began to relax. By the time they had reached the Medical Bay, Princess nearly felt like her usual self. The fever and dizziness were gone, replaced by the pleasant sensation of being cuddled against the Condor's muscular form. It was with some reluctance that she stepped away when he gently deposited her on the floor, after arriving at their destination.

"Will…" she swallowed nervously, then suddenly brightened with an impulsive smile.

"Will you wait for me?" she asked, staring up at Jason from beneath her thick, curly eyelashes.

The Condor looked at the Swan, enchanted by her vivid emerald eyes. His breath caught in his throat.

"As long as it takes." he replied smoothly, his eyes skimming over her lithe form. Jason winked at Princess, and was gratified to see her soft ruby lips curving up at him in return.

"Then, I'll try to hurry as fast as I can." she murmured, with more than a hint of promise.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As it turned out, Jason, now in civilian uniform, didn't have to wait very long at all. The doctors could find nothing wrong with Princess, and merely sent her to her quarters for some rest less than an hour later. The official diagnosis was that the Swan's symptoms had been brought about by high levels of stress. Strangely enough, when Princess saw that Jason was indeed waiting for her, she felt just fine.

"So, nothing's wrong with you?" Jason asked in disbelief.

"They didn't find anything." Princess smiled. "Why? Do _you_ see something wrong with me?"

She had intended the question innocently, but the way Jason's eyes swept over her body gave her words a whole new meaning. Princess blushed, looking down at the ground, and then glancing up shyly again.

"There's absolutely _nothing_ wrong with you." Jason breathed.

They stood in silence for a moment, each of them absorbing this new facet to the close friendship that they had shared for over a decade.

"I…" the Swan said hesitantly, "I've been ordered to return to my quarters for some rest."

"Then by all means," grinned Jason mischievously, offering her his arm, "let me escort you!"

"Uh… okay."

Princess had not expected this, yet it wasn't entirely unwelcome. In fact, the idea that Jason wanted to spend time with her, while not unusual, was something that now intrigued Princess in a way that it never had before.

As they walked down the hallway, Jason took Princess' hand in his, and a pleasant thrill ran through her at the contact. He laced his fingers through hers, and the intimacy of that small gesture sent a soft glow radiating from her hand, growing and encompassing the two of them with its warmth.

However, these new sensations put Princess in an awkward position. She was enjoying Jason's company. Truth be told, it was _more_ than simple _enjoyment_. But he was taking her back to her _quarters_…

And therein lay Princess' dilemma.

She had never… Princess bit her lip as she pondered the situation. She had never really had an _opportunity_ to gain any kind of experience, while Jason had a reputation… a reputation she knew was well-deserved. How did she feel about that?

But Jason had always been her friend… a close friend… and the way she was feeling now was difficult to ignore… and getting more difficult by the second. Her body was screaming at her to stop over-analyzing this and just let herself be swept away by the pleasant sensations Jason was engendering within her.

Still, she had always imagined that her first experiences might be with Mark. After all, Mark had been the giver of her first and only kiss, last Christmas under the mistletoe. It had been an awkward moment, and one that Princess strongly suspected Mark had wanted to get over with as quickly as possible. But everyone had been watching, and he had been trapped by social niceties. His quick, perfunctory peck on the lips had not been what she had always imagined her first kiss to be. Wouldn't it be better to be with someone who _wanted_ to be with her?

The thoughts and doubts running through Princess' mind did nothing to discourage the excitement the rest of her body felt when Jason gently squeezed her hand.

After a walk that was simultaneously both too long and too short, the pair arrived at the Swan's quarters. Princess approached her door hesitantly, then turned around, pressing her back against it, facing Jason.

"Thank you…" she muttered, a wave of shyness overtaking her, "thank you for making sure that I made it back all right."

She only realized that Jason had still been holding her hand when he released it. But rather than pulling away, his fingers softly caressed the back of her hand, lightly skimming up her arm, then her shoulder, and finally along her neck. One gentle but insistent finger lightly tickled her under her chin, causing her to look up, smiling, into an amused pair of grey-blue eyes.

"It's more than that." Jason murmured, leaning forward and placing his mouth next to her right ear. He placed his free hand on the wall next to her other ear, supporting himself as his body pressed closely against hers.

"I was hoping that you might invite me in." he said, his tone holding a slight hint of… desperation? Princess gaped at Jason, confused. What was going on here?

But all of that was forgotten as his mouth pressed itself upon hers, and Princess' nerves exploded in a frenzy of unbridled pleasure. His soft lips moved against hers, caressing and stroking in an intimate fashion Princess could never have imagined. Unconsciously she sighed, parting her lips slightly, and was surprised to discover that Jason took this as an invitation to kiss her more deeply, his tongue caressing hers in a slow, exploratory dance that set her senses reeling.

Princess' mind was awhirl with these new feelings of pleasure that coursed through her. She had always wondered what it would be like to properly kiss a man, but this… it overwhelmed her every thought and desire… except the desire to take more of what this man could offer her.

Jason's long, muscular frame was pressed against her, and now her entire body was set on edge: enjoying these sensations, yet at the same time impatient for more.

Princess gasped for air, surfacing from their intimate kiss to discover that Jason was now nibbling at her ear, teasing and tasting her sensitive skin in a manner that made her wonder what it would feel like if he did that to _other_ parts of her body.

Princess' knees grew weak at this thought and she trembled, grabbing onto the door handle for support as Jason's arm slipped around her waist, moving upward to…

"What the hell is going on here?"

The furious voice clearly belonged to the Commander, who stood in the hallway, arms crossed, glaring at the two of them with his icy-blue eyes. A tangible wave of fury emanated from his rigid form.

Mark was shocked and upset by what he had witnessed. But it was not _only_ because of the inappropriateness of his two officers' public behavior.

Jason turned his head slightly, regarding the Commander with a pitying smirk.

"What does it look like?" he countered. "Princess and I were just getting to know each other a little better."

Princess' face was colored a bright red, and she stared down at her striped pants, desperately wishing that she could sink through the floor at that moment. She held her breath as Mark spoke frostily to Jason.

"This is _hardly_ the time…" Mark looked around condescendingly, "_or_ the place… to be engaged in such… _activities_…"

"Just because _you_ don't engage in such 'activities' doesn't mean that Princess and I don't have a right to." Jason smirked, not in the least bothered by his Commander's reprimand.

"In _this_ case, that has nothing to do with it." the Eagle replied with a touch of smugness. "Chief Anderson wants to debrief you… if you're done bringing Princess to 'Medical Bay'."

"Damn!" Jason scowled with obvious disappointment. He turned to Princess.

"Will I see you later?" he asked hopefully.

Princess couldn't help smiling at his boyish expression.

"Yes…" she nodded shyly, before her eyes darted over to Mark's steely face. The Swan bent her head, looking at the floor and doing her best to avoid the Commander's steely glare.

"I'm looking forward to it." Jason grinned, walking away with a cocky stride and turning back to wink suggestively at Princess over his shoulder. Despite the incongruity of the situation, Princess found herself giggling, covering her mouth with her fingers to stifle the sound. Jason grinned again before turning a corner and moving out of sight.

Princess' giggling immediately ceased, and she glanced nervously at Mark, anticipating the stern reprimand that was about to come her way.

A reprimand she fully deserved.

A reprimand that never came.

Mark had intended on lecturing Princess about her behavior, but the moment Jason disappeared, he discovered that he wasn't really interested in doing that. He took one look at Princess' trembling form and all he wanted to do was comfort her, pulling her into his arms and holding her close until…

Mark shook his head. This was _not_ the appropriate thing to do, particularly after what he had just said to Jason. So instead, he settled for a concerned expression, moving closer to Princess.

"What did Medical say?" he asked the Swan, approaching her position against the door. "Is everything all right?"

"They couldn't find anything wrong." Princess replied nervously, obviously still fearful of her Commander's wrath. "They said it could be stress…"

"Stress?" Mark was surprised, but he supposed he shouldn't be. Their jobs certainly _were_ stressful, and Princess was a sensitive girl. She often helped everyone else deal with their problems, yet no one ever seemed to acknowledge hers.

An oversight Mark was going to rectify right now.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked kindly, moving closer until he was only a few inches away from Princess. He breathed deeply, grasping her elusive, sweet, feminine scent as it wafted toward him like a warm embrace.

"I…" Princess looked at him with her luminous emerald eyes, an expression of surprise and relief crossing her delicate features. "I was told to get some rest. I was just going to get into bed…" She blushed, staring at the floor again.

An image of Princess getting into her bed entered Mark's mind… her clothes discarded on the floor…

"So… I guess I should be going." she muttered, fumbling for her door handle. Once she grasped it, she pressed her fingertip against the Identification Pad, unlocking the entrance.

In his mind, Mark saw the unclothed form of the Swan lying down, sliding between her cool, white sheets…

Princess opened her door, pushing down the handle and backing away from Mark to move into the soft darkness of her quarters. She spoke quietly.

"I should be going…"

"Wait…"

The word had escaped from Mark's mouth before he had had a chance to think about it, and what it implied. This was _completely_ unlike the careful, measured Commander whose cool head kept the G-Force Team in top condition. But the expression on Princess' face as she turned back to stare at him confirmed that it had, indeed, just been uttered.

His hand reached out hesitantly, his mind awhirl with the Swan: her scent, her beauty, the softness of her skin…

The moment his fingers brushed her bare arm, an electric jolt ran through him. The small area where his hand touched her flesh felt as if it was burning… but not a painful burn; rather a burning hunger: a yearning to increase the contact and to press his entire body furiously against hers.

Princess gasped with surprise, and the soft sound caressed his ears, urging him to pull her close and show her how he _really_ felt.

How he _really_ felt?

With every ounce of restraint he possessed, Mark tore his hand away from Princess' arm, stumbling back across the hallway until he banged into the opposite wall.

"Uh… have a good rest…" the Commander muttered, before turning and fleeing down the hallway.

Mark had no idea what was wrong with him. He only knew that he had to put as much distance as possible between himself and the Swan.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Silent tears slipped down Princess' cheeks as she watched Mark hurrying to get away from her. It seemed that he could barely stand to be in her presence. Was she _truly_ that repulsive?

Still… that moment when he had touched her… it had felt as if she were being consumed by his presence. All that had mattered in that one instant had been Mark… his wide blue eyes, his sincere face… and the way he made her feel as if she could never be happy without him.

If he had not taken his hand away, Princess knew that she would have fallen into his arms with a desperate need to be held close to him.

To become one with him.

Perhaps it was better then, that he had run away. She would have embarrassed herself completely if he had stayed, particularly in light of what had just happened… almost happened… with Jason.

Wait a minute… what _had_ almost happened with Jason? And was she now thinking the _same_ way about Mark? She loved Jason, but as a brother. Yet, when he had been close to her, and when he had kissed her, she had been completely out of control, following his lead as long as those thrilling sensations continued to take over her body.

And now she was willing to do the same thing with Mark?

Princess slammed her door shut and threw herself onto her bed. In the darkness of her room she sobbed into her pillow, ashamed of her suddenly wanton behavior.

Chief Anderson had not raised her like this.

She didn't _want_ to be like this.

She _had_ to pull herself together and regain control of her own body.

Even if that means staying as far away from Mark and Jason as possible.

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Princess awoke the next morning not feeling any better. Her dreams had been haunted by Mark… but not her usual dreams about the Commander. Instead of images of the two of them holding hands, picnicking on the beach, roller skating, or taking long walks in the park, Princess' mind was filled with images of her Commander wearing nothing at all, reaching for her and… well… Princess was too embarrassed to think about it in the harsh light of day.

She was a _nice_ girl… wasn't she? But the thoughts and dreams she had had all night hadn't been _nice_… they had been passionate… lustful… yearning… certainly not like anything she had ever experienced before.

Strangely enough, she hadn't dreamt about Jason at all. This, at least, was a relief. It was one thing to be having these kinds of inappropriate thoughts about Mark, but it would be all the more distressing if she were thinking such things about two different men.

A chime from her bracelet brought her thoughts back to the present reality, and she raised her communicator to her mouth.

"Ears on."

"Princess, the team is assembling in my office as soon as possible." Chief Anderson's voice drifted from her wrist. "I need you there, if you can make it."

"I'm on my way."

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Arriving at Chief Anderson's office, Princess again sat with Keyop, nervously eyeing the door and wondering how she was going to be able to keep her distance from both Mark _and_ Jason, especially if they were going on a mission. Fortunately, they were all professionals who took their work with G-Force seriously. She just hoped that _she_ took things seriously enough today.

Mark arrived first. He saw Princess and instantly moved to the opposite side of the room, clearly reluctant to be near her. When Jason walked in, the Commander collared the Condor and forced his second to stand next to him, which the Condor did reluctantly. This didn't stop Jason from grinning in Princess' direction, but the Swan made it her business to look elsewhere. In the meantime, Tiny arrived and Chief Anderson began to speak.

"You all did an excellent job yesterday." he began. "The Madagascar government sends its thanks for your efforts. The country's agriculture would have been completely decimated, without your intervention."

"It's good to know that we are appreciated." Mark smiled.

"Princess," the Chief said, turning to the Swan, "Medical reports that your illness yesterday was stress-related. Do you feel well enough now to remain on active duty?"

"Yes, Sir." Princess nodded. Aside from the raging guilt and embarrassment she was experiencing, she felt just fine.

And she would do her best to keep it that way.

"Good," Anderson said approvingly, "because I have another task for you, Team."

"What is it, Chief?" Mark asked.

"About three hours after you returned to base yesterday, some villagers in a remote area of Madagascar experienced what they _thought_ was an earthquake. But further investigation reveals that it was, in fact, an attempt to destroy a base."

"A base?" Tiny was surprised.

"Breet… broot… whose base?" Keyop asked curiously.

"Give you three guesses, and the first two don't count." muttered Jason sarcastically, chewing on a feather shuriken as he leaned casually against the wall with his arms and legs crossed. "It was the Happiness Boys."

"Yes." Anderson confirmed. "We believe that it was the Spectrans attempting to blow up their own base. Apparently they didn't want us to know what they were doing, or that they were even there. We believe that this was why they tried to mask its destruction by making it appear to be an earthquake."

"So, how do we know all of this?" asked Jason suspiciously.

"The Spectrans were apparently in a great hurry, as they did a rather sloppy job." the Chief replied with a hint of smugness. "The base wasn't _completely_ destroyed. Your mission is to investigate and confirm that the installation is _truly_ abandoned, and attempt to retrieve any useful data that you can. I want to know what the Spectrans were so eager to hide from us."

"We're on it, Chief!" the Commander replied, nodding at his team.

"G-Force!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Mark noticed that Princess attempted to linger behind in the Docking Bay, in order to be the last to enter the Phoenix. Jason, Keyop and Tiny boarded, but being the last to board was the Commander's privilege, and if the Eagle let the Swan do so, then it was as good as telling her that he knew what she was trying to do.

_She was trying to stay away from him._

And apparently, she was also trying to stay away from Jason.

Mark appreciated Princess' efforts. Whatever had happened between them yesterday, she obviously realized how inappropriate it had been, just has he did.

Only… a tiny part of the Eagle was disappointed that the Swan wanted to stay away from _him_.

It was _this_ part of the Commander that drank in the sight of her as he boarded, passing her workstation only to see her head bent diligently over her control panel.

Yet… she glanced up briefly as he happened to look down at her and their eyes met…

All of the intense feelings of the previous day welled up in Mark again. His pulse quickened, and he had to force himself to take long, deep breaths, simply to get past her chair to his own at the front of the Bridge.

Once the Commander was seated at his station, he was no longer overwhelmed by these feelings, but still, he found it difficult to concentrate on the mission at hand, rather than the incredible woman sitting only a few meters behind him.

"Take us out, Tiny." he ordered, his clenched jaw revealing the enormous effort it took for him to sound as if everything were as normal.

Because everything was _far_ from normal.

A casual backward glance told the Commander that Jason was staring at Princess with a predatory expression. The Eagle could practically feel the way the Condor's eyes moved up and down the Swan's lovely form, lingering on her exposed legs and short skirt. Something ugly welled up inside of the Commander, as an intense anger began to fester in his soul.

_Jealousy_?

That wasn't at all what Mark would have expected, but when he pondered his emotions, it seemed that this was the appropriate name for what he was feeling right now. Princess was _his_, damn it! Hadn't Jason himself admitted that Princess had a crush on _Mark_? And…

And Mark had said that he wasn't interested.

But clearly, that was no longer the case. As strange and sudden as it may have been, Mark recognized that he now _wanted_ Princess… in a way that consumed his every waking thought, if he wasn't constantly vigilant in pushing away these urges with every ounce of strength and resolve he possessed.

The question was, how long could he _keep_ pushing them away? It was getting more and more difficult to deny this part of himself with every passing second.

"Approaching co-ordinates!" Tiny reported, as a stunningly beautiful view of the Madagascar coastline came into view.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do." Mark said, attempting to wrench his mind back to the mission at hand. But then he paused.

The Commander had been planning on ordering Tiny land the Phoenix in a secure area, and having everyone disembark to search the presumably abandoned base. Yet, the way Jason was leering at Princess put him on edge.

No matter what happened, he _had_ to keep the Condor and the Swan apart.

And the best way to do _that_, was to have Princess with _him_. The Commander took a deep breath.

"Princess and I will go explore the base." the Eagle stated. "Jason and Keyop will do outside reconnaissance in their G-machines to ensure that Spectra didn't leave anyone, or anything, behind. Tiny will do the same from the air in the Phoenix. We will all keep in touch on our communicators. Understood?"

"G-Force!"

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The Eagle walked cautiously through what was left of the Spectran base, his eyes constantly moving as he watched for any sign of Spectran troops or traps. Occasionally he stopped to admire the slim form of the Swan about twenty meters in front of him, as she kept a look out for danger.

"I think I've found something!" she reported through his communicator. "It looks like a control room!"

"Sounds good," the Commander acknowledged, "but don't go in without me. You never know what kind of Spectran booby-traps might be in there."

"Got it." Princess ended her communication. Mark could see her carefully side-stepping fallen debris as he approached. It appeared that the Chief's information had been correct. The base was in shambles, but essentially intact. The Spectrans had done a very poor job of destroying this installation. But that was all to the Federation's gain.

The Eagle arrived at the Swan's position, nodding at her briefly while avoiding eye contact.

"Proceed." he ordered, watching the way her fingers flashed across the door panel as Princess quickly rewired it. A small smile flitted across the Swan's delicate features as she connected two thin cables, and the door opened for them. Cautiously, the Commander poked his head inside.

"It appears to be clear." he said. "Let's go!"

Again, all Mark could do was watch as Princess did what she was best at. It only took her a minute to activate the main computer terminal, despite the damage that had been done to it and its related server. It was less than another sixty seconds before she was able to hack into the system, which operated entirely in the Spectran language. As her Commander, Mark admired the quiet efficiency with which she worked, but as a man, there was much more for him to admire.

"So, what's your pleasure?" Princess grinned, turning toward him.

For a brief second an image passed through Mark's mind of _exactly_ what kind of pleasure he was interested in with Princess. He had to shake his head to clear the image from his mind, although it didn't entirely work. Thoughts of Princess lingered, as the Commander attempted to face the Swan.

Princess suddenly realized what she had said, and her cheeks turned bright red as she re-phrased the question.

"Uh… I mean… I'm in…" she stammered. "What type of information would you like to access, Commander?"

"Well, let's see if we can find out what Spectra was doing here." Mark suggested, desperately trying to ignore what was now at the forefront of both of their minds. "What was the primary objective of this base?"

"Well…" Princess hummed to herself, "let's see…" Her fingers flew over the control panel as her forehead furrowed slightly in concentration. Mark thought it was incredibly attractive. He began to wonder if she would concentrate so thoroughly if she were performing a _different_ task…

"Apparently, they were attempting to drill for quadriline," the Swan reported, "and the ice cream mecha was only supposed to scare the locals away. But the mecha Captain got a little over-zealous, and the matter was brought to the attention of Galaxy Security…" Princess laughed softly to herself, the tinkling sound caressing Mark's ears as it drifted through the air.

"The Captain's official reprimand entry is really quite amusing." she giggled. "Zoltar told him…" She glanced up at the Eagle's face, and her smile disappeared.

"Sorry, Commander." she said, looking down again. Mark merely nodded at her. He hadn't meant to appear so stern, but it was difficult maintaining his composure when her smile had sent ripples of delight coursing through him.

"The question is, _why_ did Spectra want the quadriline?" Princess mused as she continued to browse through the computer files. Mark moved closer, until he was standing beside her, breathing in the sweet scent that emanated from her skin, He could see her trembling with his close proximity, and her fingers began typing less rapidly as he stood there.

_He was having an effect on her._

She was just as distracted by _his_ presence, as he was by hers!

It was an amazing revelation for the Commander. _She wanted him too!_

A sharp thrill shot through the Eagle as he watched the Swan struggling to maintain her composure.

"Commander…"

The pleading tone in her voice confirmed everything that had been going through Mark's mind. She couldn't work near him, just as he was finding it difficult to work near her.

Both acknowledging and reveling in the Swan's unspoken admission, the Eagle stepped back, although it pained him to do so.

After a few more moments of silence, in which they were both breathing heavily, Princess spoke again.

"Commander, this is bad."

"Bad?" As an adjective, it wasn't a very descriptive word, yet it was one that Princess used rarely enough that it instantly caused Mark some concern.

"_How_ bad?" he asked.

"Apparently, Spectra _didn't_ want the quadriline _just_ because we use it in the Phoenix's exterior coolant system." the Swan reported. "It seems as if they are attempting to develop a fire weapon as well… something they plan on being strong enough to resist the Fiery Phoenix."

"_Attempting_?" Mark asked, a note of relief in his voice. "They haven't done this yet?"

"No." replied Princess. "I'm no expert, obviously, but it looks to me as if what they designed isn't technologically feasible… but I just don't know."

"We need to take this data back to Chief Anderson." the Commander stated.

"Already on it." the Swan responded.

A moment later, Princess pocketed a small data disk and turned to leave. As she had been copying the information from the Spectran computer systems, Mark had been speaking with Jason, Keyop and Tiny, none of whom had found any sign of Spectran activity during their searches.

"Time to go." the Eagle ordered, the Swan falling in behind him. Despite her professional manner, Mark could sense that Princess was having difficulty behaving as usual while staying close to him. She maintained a goodly distance between them as they walked out of the base… that is, until they reached the point at which they had entered the installation.

The original entrances had been sealed shut as part of the demolition of the base, but Mark and Princess had been able to gain access through a crevasse created by the manufactured earthquakes, which led down into one of the giant 'atrium'-style rooms the Spectrans favored.

The room was about ten stories high, but the walkways surrounding it were all hanging dangerously from the walls, and obviously could not be used for support, except at the top one or two levels.

When they had entered the base, the Eagle and the Swan had merely glided down from the ceiling, but it seemed that they were unable to fly up that great a distance.

Mark looked at Princess, the same thought running through both of their minds.

In a situation like this, the obvious solution was the Swan's yo-yo. She could easily wrap it around one of the higher, more stable, walkways, and raise them to safety.

Except… that would require that the Eagle hold onto her as they made their ascent into the air.

Princess shuffled her feet uncomfortably, looking at Mark in confusion.

He could deal with this one thing. And tonight, back at Center Neptune, _after_ the mission was over, the Commander would think through the implications of everything he had learned about himself… and about Princess… this day.

But first, they had to get out.

The Swan nodded slowly, throwing her weapon expertly into the air, wrapping it around a stable railing. She then tugged on it a few times to ensure that it was secure, and could support their weight.

"Ready, Commander." she whispered nervously.

The hesitant words from the Swan's lips almost sounded like an invitation to the Eagle. Slowly, he stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

An indescribable magnetic force pulled them together, increasing exponentially as they got closer and closer, until the Eagle's body practically threw itself at the Swan's, his arms wrapping around her shoulder and waist as they connected. His limbs fit perfectly against hers, as if she had been made for him. At that moment, everything between them seemed _right_, and Mark wondered why he had ever thought that he should resist the attraction between them.

The Swan seemed to melt into his embrace, their Birdstyles between them not a hindrance in any way to the joining of their bodies. Mark found himself filled with a sense of peace: as of everything was right with the world. And yet, at the same time, it was as if he needed _more_… as if something vital was missing.

He pulled himself more tightly against her, reveling in the feel of her soft breasts crushing against his muscular chest, as his head rested on her shoulder. Their lower limbs entwined, and his leg found its way between hers, while her thigh brushed against his protective cup in a manner that set his senses reeling. His entire body was on fire, and his uniform had suddenly become uncomfortably tight. His leg rubbed against the junction of her thighs, and she moaned softly in the back of her throat, the sweet sound caressing his ears like the most beautiful melody he had ever heard. His thigh moved faster against her, while his hand slid down from her waist, until his gloved fingers whispered eagerly against the bare flesh that was exposed below the hem of her miniskirt.

Her breathing became harsh and ragged, and he became aware of an arousing feminine dampness permeating his uniform as she clutched at his shoulder with her free hand. He heard a rough, guttural sound, and it took him a moment to realize that it was coming from his own mouth as she pressed and writhed against his male length.

It was exquisite, and yet, it was agony. It just wasn't enough.

_He needed more._

Gasping for air, she collapsed onto him, her other arm dropping and wrapping around his neck even as he pulled his wrist free. He had to de-transmute to civilian clothing. The Birdstyle that normally protected him was now turning out to be much too _restrictive_.

But just as he was about to utter the command word, his communicator came to life with another voice.

"Where are you guys?" asked Jason. "We're waiting for you!"

The sound served to clear the Commander's head, and he looked around, suddenly realizing that he and Princess had already ascended, and were close to the crevasse in the ground through which they had entered the ruined base. The Eagle had never noticed the Swan pulling the both of them to safety at the top of the room.

"We…" the Eagle gulped in a mouthful of air before attempting to speak again. "We're on our way."

With an almost physical reluctance, the Commander peeled himself away from the Swan, watching as she silently moved on unsteady legs before fluffing her wings, and leaping upward to the surface above them.

He staggered toward the spot she had just occupied, jumping into the air to follow her.

Mark wasn't entirely certain of what had just happened, but he was certain of one thing: it _would_ happen again.

And the next time, they would _not_ be interrupted.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Princess collapsed back into her seat on the Bridge of the Phoenix, for once barely noticing when her Commander boarded the ship after her. It was only her strong familiarity with post-mission procedures that enabled her to extract the data disc, insert it into the Phoenix's data drive, and begin downloading the information for analysis. Her head was spinning, although this time it was not from fever or dizziness.

"Dreet… droot… you okay?" Keyop asked, concerned.

Princess nodded slightly, giving the Swallow a weak smile as she did so. In fact, her answer was truthful. She _was_[/i okay. She felt better than she had in days, and yet…

And yet, she felt incomplete.

Whatever had begun between the Swan and the Eagle had not been finished, and Princess desperately wanted to do so.

She could only hope that Mark felt the same way.

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Mark stared at Princess as much as he could, given that the angle of his seat was supposed to be facing away from her. He used every pretext he could think of to maneuver his chair around, catching glimpses of her out of the corner of his eye. She was clearly overwhelmed by what had just occurred between them, and appeared to be just as restless as Mark was.

The Commander closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair and willing his muscles to relax, as he remembered what he had felt when he had held the Swan in his arms.

He needed to feel that close to her again.

_Now_[/i.

Confidently, the Commander stood up, walking to the back of the Bridge and leaning over to speak to Keyop.

"I think you could use some more hands-on flight training, Keyop." he said smoothly. "Why don't you go sit in my chair and ask Tiny for a lesson?"

"Breet… broot… thanks, Mark!" the boy burbled gratefully, before jumping up and bouncing toward the Commander's seat.

Mark grinned to himself, sliding into the seat next to Princess. She looked shyly at him, smiling up at her Commander through her yellow-tinted visor. Slowly, she reached out her white-gloved hand, laying it on his thigh and squeezing gently. A thrill of desire shot through him as he realized that she wanted the same thing he did.

Cautiously, Mark looked around. Tiny and Keyop were at the front of the Bridge, poring over the Phoenix's flight controls. Jason appeared to be immersed in an analysis of the Weapons Systems. Everyone was facing the front of the ship; away from Mark and Princess.

Quietly, he placed a gloved finger to his mouth, signaling to Princess the need for silence. She nodded, her eyes sparkling and wide with excitement. Gently, he turned his seat until it was facing her, and then pulled the Swan out of her chair, until she was facing the front of the Bridge, with the Eagle behind her. Princess was bent over slightly, as if she were examining the control panels in front of her, but the flush on her cheeks said that she was not anticipating anything so mundane. Every nerve in Mark's body tingled as he realized that this was actually going to happen.

Slowly, he slid his fingers up Princess' thighs, stroking the soft skin. He heard an almost imperceptible whimper coming from her, before she managed to stifle the sound. Carefully, Mark slipped his thumbs into either side of the Swan's infamous panties, gently pulling them down until they were at her calves and she could step out of them.

He stared, entranced, at the feminine charms now exposed to his gaze, feeling his entire body harden in anticipation. Slowly, the Commander stood, moving behind the Swan as if attempting to analyze the data she was working on.

But in fact, it was not her data that he was interested in.

With seeming nonchalance and great care, he moved his Birdstyle slightly, exposing his masculinity to a rush of air and the warm, sweet dampness that emanated from the woman in front of him.

With excruciating slowness, he moved forward, leaning over Princess as his body searched for hers, eagerly seeing the soft sweetness she offered up to him. His hand smoothed over her back, underneath her snow-white wings, while his other arm leaned on the workstation to support his body as he slipped inside of her.

She clasped her hand to her mouth, stifling the soft sounds that were coming from her throat as her body contracted around him, embracing his length and welcoming it as he moved deeper within her.

Never had he felt so alive… so _aware_[/i of every feeling and every sensation. Never had he felt so powerful, and yet so out of control.

The time for subtly was long past, and he was no longer capable of such restraint. Faster and faster he moved, letting out a loud animal cry of…

"What's wrong, Commander?" Tiny asked solicitously.

Mark sat up, shaking his head. He was in his chair at the front of the Bridge, while Princess was still bent over her workstation at the back of the ship.

He had fallen asleep.

"Nothing's wrong." he muttered quietly. "I just dozed off for a moment, I guess. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"Well, you must have been having a nightmare," Jason smirked, "what with that loud yell you just made."

"Yeah, a nightmare." the Commander replied, turning away so that his second wouldn't see the deep flush creeping over his face.

It had been as far away from a nightmare as he could imagine.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Princess entered the Ready Room and picked up her guitar. She hoped that the music would help to soothe her the way it often did. She was so confused! First she had been ill, and then her body had been feeling things she had never expected, and then last night she had made a complete fool of herself! And today…

She had tried so hard to stay away from both Mark and Jason on the mission. But even though Mark had run away from her last night, today he had seemed to always be in close proximity to her: taking her on the mission with him, and then standing behind her as she worked.

When she had been going through the Spectran computer systems, she had barely been able to concentrate when he had come up behind her, his warm breath finding its way underneath her visor to caress her cheek. Even though he hadn't been touching her, she could _feel_ his presence as he had moved closer. It had almost been as if her nerves were also sensing his… as if their _bodies_ had been communicating.

Overwhelmed by these sensations, she had had to grip the edge of the control panel for support, unable to concentrate on the task at hand. She had needed him to move away, else she would have completely forgotten herself and surrendered entirely to the tide of insanity that was taking over her body.

But she hadn't known how to explain all of this to Mark.

"Commander…" had been her heartfelt plea, yet somehow, he had understood what she had been trying to tell him, and he had moved away. Sighing gratefully, she had been able to finish her work.

But then, when she had had to use her yo-yo to raise them both up to the surface, he had moved toward her…

They had done this on missions many times before: using her yo-yo or Jason's cablegun to raise themselves great heights that they could not fly up to. The way that Mark had always held her on these few occasions had been perfunctory: completely emotionless, as if he were totally unaware of the close positioning of their bodies. Even Keyop always held onto her with more affection when they had performed this maneuver together in the past.

But today… Mark had not merely held her; they had _embraced_, pulled together by a force so strong it seemed that not even a Spectran mecha could have torn them apart.

She didn't recall activating her yo-yo to retract the wire, yet she must have done so instinctively, because she definitely recalled rising up from the floor with her Commander holding onto her, the feel of his hands on her body sending her senses reeling. And then, his leg had pushed between hers, and she had lost all sense of what was happening; soaring on a cloud of pleasure and sweetness that she had never imagined.

When Jason's call had broken the spell that had surrounded them, she had been embarrassed: completely humiliated at the ultimate betrayal her body had willingly enacted. Guiltily, she had pulled away, stumbling from him like a worthless penitent, until her legs were strong enough to get her out of there and away…

Away from her Commander.

It was becoming all too clear that she was unable to control her own body. She was now a liability to the team, because she was unable to perform her job appropriately. Medical had not found anything wrong with her physically, so the problem obviously lay with her mental state, not the result of some illness.

Perhaps Colonel Cronus had been right after all, when he had stated that she didn't belong on the team. The memory came flooding back to her now in sharp, painful clarity…

88888

Princess was practicing her martial arts with Keyop. They had both been improving steadily in the weeks since she had been living with Chief Anderson. Even at four years old, Keyop had progressed well beyond the basics and was an equal match for her to train with. Princess was amazed by his skill, not yet knowing of the genetic enhancements that enabled the young boy to develop abilities far beyond his years.

The Chief had explained to her that he wanted her to be part of a special team he was forming, and that she would have to undergo a number of surgical procedures to do so. She had readily agreed, eager to assist her new foster father in any way she could. Princess was incredibly grateful for the chance she had been given to have a _real_ family. At ten years of age, it was not something she had ever thought she would have. After her foster parents had died in a car accident, she had had no idea where she would go. She was too old to be adopted… or so she had assumed.

She would be forever grateful to the man who had shown her how wrong she had been. William Anderson had taken her in after his parents had passed on, despite the lack of blood relationship between the two of them. The mere fact that his own parents had cared enough for her to take care of her had been sufficient for the Chief.

Princess was unaware that her sparring was being monitored until she heard a loud grunt coming from the side of the room. She had just managed to defeat Keyop for the first time, and she turned, flushed with the pleasure of her victory and her improved skills, only to see a tall man in a red uniform scowling at her.

Immediately, she dropped her eyes to the ground, frightened that she might somehow have offended this man standing next to her new foster father.

She could never have imagined that her mere presence had offended him.

"Welcome, Father, and to you too, Sir."

"Broot… welcome!" Keyop repeated, grinning and bowing as Princess did. Even at his young age, he had learned that there were certain manners and customs that had to be observed inside of the dojo.

"That was wonderful, Princess!" Chief Anderson smiled, placing a gentle hand on his foster daughter's shoulder. "I can't believe how much you have improved, even in the last week! Once you get your implant…"

"You can't _seriously_ be thinking of wasting Galaxy Security's time and resources on this _girl_." the other man sneered, ignoring Princess as if she were not even in the room. "It's bad enough that you had to implant this pathetic excuse for a boy!" The man in the red uniform gestured to a scowling Keyop. Young or not, Keyop knew when he was being insulted.

"Forget these two!" continued the man. "I could send you a couple of excellent candidates from Riga…"

"You will have to forgive me, Thom," Chief Anderson replied smoothly, "but I take offense to someone coming into my home and insulting not only my children, but also my decisions. Princess and Keyop are both _excellent_ candidates for the G-Force Team."

"Surely you are joking." snorted the man. "At least the boy will _eventually_ grow into a man, but the _girl_…"

The last word was said with an undertone that implied that being a girl was far worse than being a cockroach, or a flu virus.

"What's wrong with Princess?" Chief Anderson asked with a deceptive calm, folding his arms across his chest.

"Look at her!" the man sneered. "She's a scrawny thing who was thrilled just to defeat a _toddler_ in combat. She has no strength, no intelligence, no skills… nothing the G-Force Team could use."

Princess wished that she could sink into the floor. This man clearly hated her, although why, she had no idea. Would he convince her foster father to send her to an orphanage?

"You may be a Colonel, Thom Cronus," Anderson replied smoothly, "but you have a lot to learn. As it happens, she shows exceptional skills in gymnastics, and tests off the scale in all of the sciences, particularly chemistry, physics and electrical engineering. And for someone who never had _any_ martial arts training three months ago, she has progressed extremely far. Princess has no cerebonics yet, but she just defeated an implanted opponent who has been training for twice as long as she has. At this rate, she'll have her first black belt in thirty days."

"Practicing with this _child_, I can see why!" jeered the Colonel.

"You _know_ that Keyop is no normal child." the Chief said firmly. "And I think the two of them will be ready to train with Mark and Jason within six months."

"You truly _are_ deluded." Cronus laughed harshly. "She's a _female_! No matter what you teach her, it will all fly out of her head the moment something more interesting comes along. And besides, when she gets older, she'll just be a _distraction_ for Mark and Jason…"

The Colonel looked Princess up and down with a scathing expression on his cruel face.

"Well… _perhaps_." he amended his previous statement with a harsh laugh. "She certainly isn't much to look at now."

"Thom, I think we need to continue this conversation elsewhere." said Anderson, in the tight voice that Princess had already come to recognize meant that he was extremely angry. She continued to stare at the floor as the two men left the room.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Princess strummed her guitar quietly, unable to stop the flow of tears that slid down her face at the painful memory.

Colonel Cronus had been right.

How he could have known such a thing at that time was beyond her, but it was quickly becoming clear to the Swan that she was not able to be a part of the G-Force Team any longer. The problem was that if she wasn't a part of the team, then she didn't know what she would do. Perhaps Chief Anderson could find her another position within Galaxy Security.

But she didn't _want_ another position. The Swan was who Princess _was_; that persona was as much a part of her as her emerald eyes or her ability to play the guitar.

She would just have to give it one more try. And _this_ time, she was utterly determined that her resolve would _not_ fail her.

But that resolve crumbled a moment later when the door to the Ready Room opened, revealing the Commander.

Princess looked up, her emerald green eyes meeting his cerulean ones in an unspoken acknowledgement of the illicit actions that had occurred between them only a few hours before.

Princess lowered her gaze, furious with herself for even _looking_ at her Commander. Nervously she strummed her guitar, but the music was off key, and she hit more than a few bad notes. She spied on the Eagle through the curtain of ebony hair that fell over her face.

Mark stared at Princess from the doorway, quiet and unmoving. Princess wished that he would leave, as she did not know how much longer she could concentrate with him standing in the same room with her. The longer he waited, the more difficult it became for her to pretend that nothing was wrong. Her hands trembled. Her throat went dry. Her entire body tingled with a strange restlessness and sense of anticipation.

It was becoming _impossible_ to ignore.

Suddenly, he moved toward her. Two long, quick strides put the Eagle next to the Swan. He gently reached down, taking the guitar from her hands and placing it aside, although he was careful not to touch her as he did so. She looked up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Princess…" he whispered.

Her mouth fell open in shock. Mark's voice was not harsh or remonstrative. Rather, it was soft, and gentle, and… pleading.

What could the Commander _possibly_ want from her?

If only… if only it was the same thing she wanted from him.

"Mark…" she breathed, her voice betraying the intense emotional pressure she was under.

But that pressure exploded a second later as the Commander pulled her into his arms, their mouths meeting in a fiery kiss.

Princess gasped in surprise, opening herself up to Mark's tender assault. The Commander took advantage of her instant acquiescence to his passionate demands, plundering her innocent sweetness with his lips and tongue. Princess found herself floating on air, enveloped in a sense of incredulity that this was actually happening. These feelings were intermixed with an awed sense of discovery, as new sensations took over her body, showing the Swan a side of herself that she had never before imagined existed.

Mark's lips moved away from her mouth, trailing soft, scorching kisses along the edge of her face and up to her ear. Moaning enthusiastically, Princess threw her head back, only to find his lips moving across the slim, white column of her throat as his arms moved around her, supporting her in his firm embrace.

Instinctively, Princess' hands moved upward, smoothing over the cool cotton of his t-shirt to inflame the muscled flesh underneath. Mark's only response was to pull her closer to him, pressing his body against hers as he re-created the intimacy they had shared that afternoon.

Impatiently, Mark tugged at the fabric of her shirt, loosening it until he was able to slip his hands inside to caress her soft skin. Following his lead, Princess' fingers found their way beneath his shirt, softly exploring the muscular hardness that made up the Eagle.

Every movement of Mark's hands on her bare skin sent Princess to new frenetic heights. Unconsciously she mirrored his actions, hoping that they pleased him as much as his actions were pleasing her.

A familiar sound penetrated the Swan's consciousness. A chime, coming from across the room, indicating…

"Zark!"

Princess panicked, pulling away from Mark and scrambling into the opposite corner of the room just as the image of a short, rotund robot in a yellow sweater appeared on the Ready Room viewscreen.

"Team? Team?" he called in his usual annoyingly soothing tone. "Is anyone there?"

His head turned, apparently sighting the disheveled teenagers on opposite sides of the room.

"Ah, there you are, Commander. And Princess too… I'm _so_ glad I've found you! Chief Anderson needs to see you both immediately in his office."

"Understood." growled Mark, his voice simmering with an impatient anger Princess had never before seen the usually calm Commander exhibit.

Apparently the clueless 7-Zark-7 did not notice the Eagle's dangerous tone.

"Wonderful! Chief Anderson will be _so_ pleased to hear that you…"

The inane robot's image disappeared from the viewscreen as a Sonic Boomerang swooped by the communications panel, deactivating the connection. Two seconds later, the Commander was next to Princess, reaching out to pull her into his arms again.

"Uh… Mark…" Princess stammered, attempting to avoid his embrace, "I don't like it either, but if the Chief _really_ wants to see us…"

"I know." the Eagle scowled. But he sent the Swan a smoldering look a second later.

"Tonight, then."

It was a promise, rather than a question.

"Tonight." agreed Princess, blushing redder than her t-shirt.

88888

The two G-Force members walked down the hallway, keeping as far apart from each other as possible. Both of them clearly understood that even the slightest physical contact between them would send their bodies into a frenzy, which at the moment they could ill afford.

However, it was now absolutely clear to the couple that _both_ Mark and Princess were looking forward to the continuation of their physical encounter… as soon as was reasonably possible.

Princess was practically floating down the hallway. Mark had kissed her! _He_ had initiated the intimacy between them! Apparently he was just as caught up in this… whatever it was… as she was! And he wanted to see her again, tonight.

And _nothing_ would prevent her from doing just that.

But for the moment, they had been summoned, and difficult though it was, at the moment duty prevailed.

Entering the Chief's office, Princess darted over to the far wall, away from where the Condor was lounging near Anderson's desk. Mark walked over to Jason's position, a smug expression crossing his features as he saw the frank curiosity his second directed at him.

But there was no time for the Condor to satisfy his curiosity, as Chief Anderson chose that moment to enter the room and begin speaking.

"Thank you all for assembling so quickly." the Chief said. "This time, I have _good_ news to impart."

Everyone looked at each other in happy astonishment. This was a rare event.

"What is it?" Jason asked with exaggerated casualness.

"The information that Princess was able to obtain from the Spectran base has been very useful." Anderson revealed. "Apparently Zoltar is trying to develop a fire weapon similar to the Fiery Phoenix. But, by destroying the Spectran mecha and base in Madagascar, we have bought ourselves time to develop a counter to this weapon."

"Breet… doot… still working… doot… on it?" Keyop questioned.

"Yes." the Chief nodded. "We made it appear to the Spectrans as if the destruction of the base was complete. They have every reason to assume that we were not able to recover _any_ of this data. And once Zoltar puts that much time and effort into something, he is generally inclined to stick with it."

"However," Anderson continued, "by destroying the base we cut off the Spectran's source of quadriline, and it will take them some time and effort to locate another. In the meantime, as I said before, Galaxy Security will be able to work on appropriate counter-measures."

"So, we just have to wait around for the Spectrans to finish this thing?" Tiny asked dejectedly.

"That's the good news." the Chief smiled. "We're fairly confident that the Spectrans will be quiet for the next little while to complete their weapon, so I am giving you all a week's leave."

Jubilant faces looked around the room as the members of the G-Force Team smiled at each other.

They had not had any proper time off since G-Force had been activated. Princess' gaze fell on Mark's face.

The Commander was staring at her with an eagerness she found both thrilling and captivating.

The prospect of a week off had never been more exciting.

"Can I go visit Captain Jack?" Tiny asked eagerly.

"Broot… me too!" Keyop cried.

"That sounds fine." the Chief agreed. "And Jason, I know that there's a big race in Daytona Beach this week. The Federation can see to it that you qualify, if you'd like."

"That would be great!" Jason's grin spread from ear to ear.

"I guess I could ask Jill for some extra shifts." Princess said quietly. "I could use the extra cash."

"Me too." Mark added. "I could actually _schedule_ some air deliveries."

"Dreet… droot… bor-ing!" Keyop declared. "You two… breep… no fun!"

But Mark and Princess just grinned quietly to themselves. They both knew that neither of them had _any_ intention of working for the next week.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Princess accelerated her motorcycle as she drove along the road. It was fortunate that she was an accomplished driver, because her mind wasn't really on the operation of her vehicle at that moment. She existed in a state of unreality, only subconsciously aware of what was going on around her.

When she had moved to leave Chief Anderson's office after the briefing, Mark had spoken her name so softly that she had barely heard it. Given that her implants enhanced her hearing significantly, the word had really been no more than a rush of air between his lips.

But she _had_ heard it, and she had turned to regard her Commander with a mixture of excitement and curiosity. When he had been certain that she was looking at him, his lips had silently formed one word.

_Airfield_.

A pleasant shiver had run down Princess' spine. It was already getting dark, and yet he wanted her to come out to his house at the airfield.

He wanted her to spend the night.

Princess knew that she should feel more apprehensive about such a thing. She had never been with a man, and this kind of intimacy wasn't anything she would ever want to enter into lightly.

And yet, all she felt was an impatient eagerness to meet him.

Mark.

He was the man she had always dreamed of. Yet, he had been the man who had always ignored her as a woman; only demonstrating feelings of friendship for her.

But today, there had been more.

He had taken her into his arms and kissed her in the way she had been dreaming about since she was thirteen years old. And all common sense had flown out of her head, leaving her only with an impatient desire to be _with_ her Commander in _every_ way possible.

The cool air rushed across her face, but it did not bring her back to her 'senses'. Mark was the _only_ thing on her mind.

Mark… and what would happen once she arrived at the airfield.

Butterflies rose up in her stomach, propelling her through the stratosphere to Cloud Nine and beyond. There was no doubt now in her mind that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. His behavior this afternoon had proven that. If it were possible, he had seemed even more impatient than she. After all, it had been _Princess_ who had had to convince him to answer the summons to Anderson's office, much as she too wanted to ignore it.

But now, they had a whole week to themselves. No interruptions, no missions, no nosy teammates or annoying robots.

Princess turned her motorcycle off the main road and up the dirt and gravel driveway that led to Mark's house, pushing her bike to move even faster in a vain attempt to settle her anxious anticipation.

As quickly as she had driven, Mark had arrived before her. The Commander's Cessna was tied down in front of the single hangar, and a welcoming light shone forth from the windows of his house. Princess pulled her motorcycle up to the front entrance, then turned it off, leaping from the bike in a smooth motion and bounding up the three steps to door.

She raised her hand to knock, but before she could do so, the door opened, revealing her Commander behind it.

"Princess…"

"Mark…"

They stared at each other for a long moment, she outside and he inside, both keenly aware of the line that was about to be crossed between them. Neither the Eagle nor the Swan was having second thoughts, but even in their impatience, they both wished to acknowledge the change that was about to occur.

Slowly, Mark raised his hand, holding it out to her. Princess lifted her hand, placing it gently in his, and tenderly he drew her inside of his dwelling and into the circle of his arms. She was only subconsciously aware of the Commander kicking the door to his house shut with a flick of his foot, even as he swept her into his embrace, carrying her the few steps across his living room and into his bedroom.

With infinite care, he placed her standing on the floor, then cupped her face in his hands. The feel of his bare skin on hers made her lightheaded, and the room spun around her as he lowered his face to hers, kissing her hungrily.

She responded eagerly, the memory of their kiss barely an hour before encouraging her onward in her enthusiastic response. His mouth was soft, yet insistent, and she readily gave in to its strong demands.

Tentatively at first, then more boldly, she began caressing his chest, feeling his muscular form through the thin material of his t-shirt. But this was not enough to satisfy her, and as her body cried out for more she pressed herself against him, aching to soothe her burning flesh.

Sensing, or perhaps reflecting, her need, he reached around her, pulling at her shirt until it came free from her belt, and then insistently tugging it over her head; breaking their kiss for only as long as necessary to remove the garment. Following his lead, she did the same, easing his shirt over his head until his bare chest was revealed, its entrancing form shadowed by the silvery moonlight that was the room's only illumination.

A cool rush of air told her that her bra had been removed, but that was quickly replaced by the warm pressure of his hands as they stroked and explored, teasing her sensitive flesh until she moaned in satisfaction, throwing back her head and exposing the hollow of her throat to his mouth. He pressed his lips there, then trailed kisses along her collarbone and down to her right breast, tasting her creamy skin as her fingers wound through his auburn hair, encouraging him onward.

As his lips and tongue worshipped her breasts, his hands slid downwards, and she was lost in a whirl of sensation as he removed her remaining garments, one by one.

She wanted to do the same for him, but even as she attempted to collect herself enough to reciprocate, she discovered that he was already unclothed and lowering her down to the bed, laying himself next to her. Eagerly she moved her hands over his body, curiosity and desire driving her to explore every square inch of him. Understandingly, he returned her affections, calming down her feverish skin with his cool hands as they roamed her body, finding each soft curve and conforming the shape of his calloused palms to fit every one.

He kissed her again, conveying an intense longing that she found reflected in her own soul. Returning the kiss, she communicated her agreement, her eagerness overwhelming him and causing him to smile as he pulled back from her slightly.

She smiled back, a strange serenity taking hold of her and permeating her face. He reached out tenderly, his intense blue eyes never leaving hers as his fingers stretched out lovingly to trace the line of her cheek, starting at her temple and ending at her kiss-bruised mouth. As they brushed by her lips she kissed them, and the tenderness of that gesture nearly overwhelmed him. He saw a tear brimming in one glowing emerald eye.

Then a wicked grin spread across her face and her tongue flicked out, lightly licking the finger that still lay upon her lips. The sensual action sent him reeling over the edge again, as the needs he had temporarily been able to push aside were suddenly rising up in him again.

She was instantly aware of his hard masculinity pressing on her thigh, sending a searing heat throughout her body. Its slight pulsing against her skin sent waves of pleasure through her, and she knew that their love play was about to culminate in the ultimate intimacy.

Despite her complete inexperience, she wasn't the least bit afraid.

Fumbling slightly, he searched at the junction of her thighs, seeking the entrance he needed. Frustration began to evidence itself upon his furrowed brow, and she suddenly understood.

_He had never done this before either_!

The revelation was so overwhelming that she reached up and pulled his face down to hers, kissing his mouth with all of the passion and tenderness she was feeling at that moment. Softly, she ran her lips over his face, tiny kisses soothing the frustration that had lodged there, until he was smiling again.

Taking a deep breath she reached down, her fingers brushing his considerable length gently. Emboldened by his gasp of pleasure, she explored further, until her hand completely encased him. Carefully, she opened herself up to him, guiding him slowly toward the core of her femininity, until he was able to find the rest of the way on his own. Amazingly, she felt no pain, only a sense of complete joy.

Once he was fully sheathed inside of her, he leaned down, embracing her with unshed tears in his eyes, every emotion he was feeling communicated through one word.

"Princess…"

Her emotional joy threatened to overwhelm her physical state as she heard him speak, and her response was filled with the love she had held inside of her for years.

"Mark…"

Slowly, then with increasing vigor, he began to move within her, the two of them riding the accompanying waves of ardor together, clinging to each other and gasping for air as they attempted to comprehend the myriad of sensations coursing through them at that moment.

Their lusts culminated at the same moment; wave after wave of euphoria crashing over the two lovers as they were swept away by the intensity and intimacy of the act they were sharing with each other.

She floated away on a cloud of bliss, closing her eyes and simply _feeling_ every nerve in her body drowning in the pleasures he had shown her.

88888

Princess opened her eyes to a soft lamplight, only to see Mark staring down at her, a concerned look engraved upon his face. It was the 'Commander' expression she knew all too well.

"You're awake!" he cried softly, his worried face melting into one of great relief. The Eagle was gone, and it was _Mark_ who now stroked her hair and pulled her close.

"Yes, I'm awake." she laughed gently, placing her cool palm on his burning cheek. "Did you think you had killed me?"

Immediately his face contracted, and she realized that was _exactly_ what had passed through his mind. Ashamed, she embraced him, pulling his head down to rest upon her breast.

"Everything was wonderful… incredible…" she sighed happily. "I just got carried away enjoying myself, that's all." she attempted to explain. "It was just a little too much for me to process, I guess."

"I know how you feel." he admitted. "I never realized how… consuming… this could be. I'm starting to see why Jason spends so much of this time thinking about it."

Mark hung his head for a moment, then looked at Princess with large, pleading eyes that she found impossible to resist.

"I know I was somewhat... aggressive… today." he said quietly. "I really don't know what came over me. I was in control of my actions, and yet…"

"You were not in control of your _reactions_." Princess finished for him. Mark appeared startled by her response, but before he could open his mouth Princess laughed softly and answered his unspoken question.

"What do you think _I've_ been feeling for the past couple of days?" she asked him. "It's almost like I've been in someone else's body."

"Is _that_ what happened with you and Jason?" Mark asked, understanding dawning on his features. "You didn't _really_…"

"No." Princess shook her head. "It's always been _you_, Mark."

Then a terrible thought crossed her mind.

"That's not what all of this was about for you, was it?" she asked fearfully, turning her face away. "Was this all just some kind of macho competition?"

"Oh, Princess, no… not at all!" Mark replied quickly and vehemently, lifting her chin with his finger so that he could look her in the eye again before explaining.

"I _wanted_ to do this… I _needed_ to do this… I wanted _you_."

"And now?"

The expression on Princess' face was nervous, yet hopeful.

"Now…" Mark had to stop and think about it for a moment. "I'm not feeling as… obsessed… as I was."

Princess nodded in agreement, clearly feeling the same way.

"And yet," he continued, "I don't regret this for one second. I'm _glad_ it happened."

Mark was surprised by what he was saying, and yet he instinctively knew that it was the truth. He had never thought about his physical needs before, but now that they had come to the forefront of his consciousness, he realized that they were a part of who he was; something that he was glad to have acknowledged… and satisfied.

"I guess, if I'm going to be _completely_ honest, I'd like for it to happen again." he admitted shyly.

"We have a whole week off." Princess reminded him, her radiant smile lighting up her face. "I'm sure we could work _something_ out." she teased him.

"Something?" Mark growled playfully, pulling her close to him. "I don't think I'm going to let you out of my sight, Miss Swan."

She giggled shyly, happy to see the relaxed expression on his face. With the stress and responsibility of his position as the Commander of G-Force, it was something she glimpsed all too rarely from him.

"And speaking of having you in my sight," Mark grinned teasingly, "now that we've taken the edge off of our _appetites_, perhaps we can begin again… more slowly this time."

Mark threw off the thin sheet that covered them, but gasped when he saw what lay underneath.

"Princess…" he said in a hushed voice, "you didn't tell me that you had never…" His eyes grew wide, taking in the evidence of her lost innocence. "Why didn't you say something?"

"You didn't say anything to _me_." she quickly pointed out. Mark's face flushed slightly, then he smiled ruefully.

"You're right." he acknowledged. "And I'm glad… glad that we were able to experience _each other_ this way."

"I am too." Princess agreed. She tapped her finger thoughtfully on her mouth. "Now, what were you saying about beginning again?"

"You're not sore?" Mark asked solicitously. "I thought, for girls, it was supposed to hurt…"

"So did I." Princess shrugged. "But it didn't. I guess you're a natural at this, Mark." she smiled coyly.

"I couldn't have done it without you." Mark laughed, but as his eyes drank in the sight of her creamy skin and extravagant curves, his eyes darkened with lust.

"I think you deserve a proper 'thank you'." he murmured, his mouth closing over hers.

"Mmmmm…." Princess sighed. "Thank me as much as you want."

Mark raised one eyebrow, grinning cheekily before moving to nibble the soft flesh behind her ear. Princess giggled, moving her hands to caress his back, tracing the sharp lines of his shoulder blades with her fingertips. Raising the stakes, Mark moved downward, using his tongue to tickle her shoulders, then nipping at the sensitive skin of her breasts with his teeth. Princess responded by boldly moving her hands downward, caressing his hips and then moving her hands back to squeeze his muscular bottom.

Suddenly, their teasing play had become something entirely more serious. Princess' heart pounded and every inch of her ached for Mark's touch. Instinctively she pushed herself against him, needing to press her aching flesh against his. His mouth and his hands were all at once the most tantalizing pleasure and the most excruciating torture: soothing her physical needs, yet causing her body to cry out for more.

She attempted to lose herself in an exploration of _Mark's_ body: stroking and teasing him every place she could reach. When her fingers brushed against the inside of his thighs he groaned, finally releasing her breasts from his possession as he surrendered to the myriad of sensations she was evoking within him.

Euphoric with this sense of power, Princess placed small kisses onto his chest, mimicking Mark's actions of a few moments before, moving down and across his torso.

Her hands preceded her lips, smoothing over his muscular form, feeling their way across his body. When they reached between his legs, his masculinity practically jumped into her hand, and Princess found herself caressing and stroking its velvet length until her trail of kisses had caught up to her other explorations.

She felt a pressure on her head, suddenly realizing that Mark had threaded his fingers through her hair, and was encouraging her to continue. Cautiously, she eyed his weapon, sucking in her breath between her teeth when she realized how large it truly was. For a second she doubted whether she was capable of taking it all within her; until she realized that she already had.

Tenderly, she kissed its tip, the sensitive flesh there feeling even softer than her lips. The Eagle practically melted into her mouth, pushing onto her tongue and quivering between her teeth. The taste of him, mixed with the small remnants of her innocence, was like a drug: instantly euphoric and instantly addicting. Eagerly she drew more of him into her mouth, tasting and caressing him, marveling at the way the soft skin expanded beneath her careful ministrations, stretching even more across her tongue to reach the back of her throat.

The only noise he made was a sharp hiss of air as he gasped for breath, the sound coming in irregular bursts as his fingers clenched in her hair, communicating his pleasure in her actions. Hungrily she lavished him with all of the pent-up desire she had been experiencing over the past few days, until he suddenly rewarded her with the ultimate compliment, and she greedily drank in all that he could offer.

She tenderly kissed the softened, though no less impressive, flesh one last time before crawling back upward to kiss his mouth. He returned her sentiment in full measure, aggressively moving his mouth over hers.

Afterward he fell onto his back, his chest heaving as his body attempted to come to grips with its recent physical experience.

"Princess…" Mark gasped. "_Where_ did you learn to do that?"

"Do what?" Princess asked, confused. "I was just kissing…"

Her face was suddenly crestfallen as she realized what he meant.

"Oh… you didn't like it."

"I did _like_ it!" Mark replied, "I just assumed that you had never done this before, since…"

"I _haven't_ done this before." Princess replied, still somewhat confused. "Until yesterday, _you_ were the only person I had ever even kissed."

"You mean… you just did all of that… _naturally_?" Mark was amazed.

"Did I do something wrong?" Princess asked.

"No." Mark replied firmly. "It was _perfect_. I'm just amazed at how wonderful you made me feel."

"You've always made _me_ feel wonderful," Princess admitted shyly, "even when we were 'just friends'. I always wanted something more, but you…"

"I didn't." Mark finished for her. "I know. And I was always so grateful that you didn't pressure me in that way. But now that I see what I've been missing…"

"Yes?"

"I can't go back." Mark grinned. "I'm addicted to you, Princess."

"At last, someone who understands how I feel." Princess murmured happily, laying her head on Mark's chest and snuggling against him. He held her in his warm embrace, and together their closed their eyes and drifted happily off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Their rest was temporary however, as they slept only for a few hours before waking up again to the sunrise. The feel of their bodies against each other was enough to drive them to explore their passions again, despite their mutual physical exhaustion.

And on it went. Every couple of hours they would awaken, enjoy new intimacies with each other, and then fall asleep again.

It was the _perfect_ vacation.

Once, Princess attempted to use Mark's shower, but he quickly joined her, and they discovered more ways to play in their bouts with Eros. It seemed as if they would _never_ be satisfied: as if they would _never_ get enough of each other.

About thirty-six hours after Princess had arrived at the airfield, they finally both realized that they hadn't eaten since before they had left Center Neptune, and a ravenous hunger overtook them both.

"Well, we _have_ been working out." Mark grinned.

"Do you have any food around?" Princess asked him.

"No. Let's go to Jill's."

"_Jill's_? In public? Do you think we can… make it?"

"We can if we satisfy our _other_ appetites first."

"Ohhhh…"

An hour later, they had managed to get dressed, and Princess mounted her motorcycle, Mark getting on behind her. She had always loved having him ride with her and hold her close, but this time, instead of his embrace being a wish for what _could_ be between them, it was now a reminder of the intimacy they shared.

Princess sighed happily to herself, kickstarting the bike and heading out to the open road, Mark's arms wrapped tightly around her.

They realized their error in judgment about a mile from Jill's Restaurant. Mark's body pressed against Princess', as he pulled himself more and more closely to her, until she felt his hard masculine length pressing against her backside. Unconcerned with the actual task of driving, Mark's hands explored, moving over her waist, hips and breasts, his mouth nibbling at her neck.

Princess nearly lost control of the motorcycle in her attempt to ignore his actions and arrive at their destination in one piece. Once she had safely parked she turned around to lecture him on his behavior, but the devilish glint in his eye banished all such thoughts from her mind and had her kissing him instead. It took a whistle from a passing pedestrian to bring her back to her senses.

"We're in public, Mark!" she hissed.

"I can't wait." he moaned, his face buried in her hair.

"Just… one… minute…" she gasped, wrenching her body from his iron embrace and off of the motorcycle. Obediently he followed, not touching her, but with an expression that promised that he would only tolerate a _momentary_ delay in their amorous activities.

Hurriedly, Princess marched into the restaurant, managed a cheerily forced, "Hi, Jill!" and waved at her landlord and sometime employer, before dashing up the stairs to her apartment, Mark coming closely behind. She had barely managed to get her key in the lock when he grabbed her again, growling his frustration at the delay as he attempted to loosen her t-shirt from her belted hips.

Laughing, they stumbled into the apartment once Princess had managed to open the door, and the Swan gladly gave up control to the man who was, after all, her Commander.

88888

A few hours later, the couple finally made it downstairs to Jill's, their need to satisfy a _different_ hunger finally overtaking them. Mark and Princess sat across from each other in a booth, not physically touching, but clearly entranced with each other, communicating through meaningful glances, shy smiles, and soft conversation.

After they had eaten, Princess brought their dishes over to Jill, and the older woman grinned at her tenant.

"You've finally snagged him!" she whispered happily. "I can tell by the way he looks at you, Princess. Whatever you did, it worked!"

Princess' only answer was a slow wink in Jill's direction, before returning to Mark. The pair were too occupied with each other to notice the pleased, doting expression on Jill's face as she gazed at the pair, or her smirk as they vanished upstairs again together.

To them, no one existed but each other.

But just as they were considering how long they could hold out before being drawn to each other again, Mark's bracelet beeped.

Princess looked at her Commander in horror. It hadn't even been two days and the G-Force Team had been promised an entire week off. Had Spectra attacked the Federation against all of Galaxy Security's projections?

"Ears on." Mark said grimly, his eyes reflecting the fear in Princess' heart.

"Mark, I hope this isn't an inconvenient time for you." came Chief Anderson's apologetic tone. Princess breathed a sigh of relief. If this were something urgent, the Chief would not be nearly so solicitous.

"Well, actually…" Mark began.

"Good." Anderson cut the Commander off. "Colonel Cronus heard that you had the week off an insisted on taking you out for some special flight maneuver training."

The Eagle groaned audibly. Colonel Cronus was _far_ from his favorite person. The man acted as if it were the Red Rangers who were on the front lines every day protecting the Federation, instead of G-Force, and the Colonel attempted to show up the Eagle and his team whenever possible. It was as if the man had something to prove… something that annoyed the hell out of the Commander.

Other than Zoltar, and perhaps Zark, there was no one Mark liked less than Colonel Cronus.

Worst of all, the Chief and Zark attempted to throw the Commander together with the Colonel at every turn, even going so far as to constantly claim that the two of them had a close friendship, as if simply stating it would make it so. But as far as Mark was concerned, it was all a load of bull. The Colonel had never shown Mark one ounce of respect, much less friendship, and therefore Cronus had never earned those privileges from the Commander.

Deep down, Mark knew that he never would.

Every so often, Cronus liked to rub Mark's nose in the fact that he had once been the Eagle's instructor at the Space Academy. Cronus would take Mark up for 'flight training', which usually ended up being an intensely boring hour-long lecture on the Colonel's prowess when it came to aircraft, followed by an 'examination', after which the Eagle would receive a scathing assessment from the Red Ranger Captain, usually in front of the Colonel's men. Even the scrupulously polite and dutiful Commander was unable to deal with these sessions, and he usually ended up boiling over, clenching his fists and swearing under his breath, wishing with every fiber of his being that Colonel Cronus had never been born.

A 'training session' with Colonel Cronus was _not_ how Mark had anticipated spending his week off, _especially_ now that he and Princess had connected.

"I'm sorry, Chief, but I'm not available." Mark replied. "I have made other commitments, given the leave you granted us less than two days ago…"

"You will have to cancel those commitments." Anderson insisted.

"I don't _want_ to cancel them." Mark replied, pushing back at his foster father as much as he dared.

"This is your _duty_, Commander." the Chief retorted angrily. "Or should I tell the Colonel that the Condor is now taking over _all_ of your duties?"

It was a low blow. Princess' face was white with shock, while Mark's was rigid with fury. Chief Anderson was _actually_ threatening to remove Mark's command over _this_?

"When does he want to see me?" Mark growled in frustration.

"He's arriving to pick you up at your airfield in about ten minutes." Anderson replied, his tone calm now that he knew he was getting his way.

"I'm at Jill's actually." Mark sighed in frustration. "I'll be ready. Over and out."

Mark slammed his fist into his hand before looking at Princess helplessly.

"This isn't what I wanted." he said quietly.

"I know." Princess replied soothingly. "Just get it over with and think of the fun we'll have when you get back." she flirted.

"At this point, that's the only thing keeping me going." Mark replied wryly.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Fifteen minutes later, Mark was sitting in the passenger seat of the Colonel's car, speeding down the freeway toward the main military airfield in Center City. It was the last place he wanted to be, but he knew that he had no choice.

What he couldn't figure out was why. _Why_ had this been so important to Chief Anderson? Mark had never known the Chief to be so heavy handed over such a trivial matter.

"So, Mark, since you've had a couple of days to relax, I'm expecting a great deal more than usual from you, today." Cronus said in a condescending tone. "Why, when I was your age, I was flying Rigan Warbirds! There was this one time, out in the Badlands, I was doing a solo test flight with only one missile aboard, and stumbled across three fully armed Spectran Fighters…"

Mark tuned out. He didn't need to hear any more stories about how the Colonel had defeated hundreds of Spectran soldiers with nothing but an elastic band and a paper clip. To hear Cronus tell it, he was a cross between Rambo, MacGyver, and Chuck Yaeger. The Commander's eyes glazed over as he thought about a far more interesting subject… Princess.

It was amazing how wonderfully he and Princess had come together… in _every_ sense of the phrase. Mark had always thought of her as a friend, and certainly she had never pressured him for more. He had been content hanging out with her at Jill's, having her as a confidante when he needed one, and as a companion when he was forced into the distasteful task of visiting Zark. Being pleasant to that robot required an iron resolve, and having Princess at his side had always made it easier for him.

Now that he thought about it, Princess had _always_ made life easier for him. Whenever he needed someone, she was there, even when those needs had suddenly taken a sharp turn toward something he had never anticipated.

Mark had been overwhelmed by these physical sensations that had come out of nowhere, yet in the back of his mind he had also been experiencing a great deal of guilt that he had forced Princess to capitulate to his demands in that arena. But once he had realized that she had been… _was_, right now… experiencing the same frenzied needs that he was, it had all become clear to Mark.

_Princess was the perfect partner for him._

She complimented him fully on the team: her skills and strengths filling in his weaknesses, while he did the same for her. It was the reason he so often took her with him on missions: as a pair, they were far more effective and devastating than the Commander with any other member of the G-Force Team… even the Eagle paired with the Condor. On the ice cream mecha, Mark had certainly been wishing for Princess' skills, rather than Jason's combat expertise. He and Jason were too similar in their skill sets to really add anything more when they were together.

When the team was not on active duty, Princess was always there with a smile on her face and a friendly ear, and on occasion, a shoulder to cry on. He had come to rely on her personally as well, which was significant, because there weren't that many people the Commander had let himself become emotionally close to. Even with Jason, his best friend, Mark held back a part of himself; not so much for fear of ridicule as because he found it too tiring to explain his thoughts and feelings over and over again. The Condor had significant difficulty understanding points of view that differed from his own.

But not Princess. Princess had _always_ listened to Mark, and he was never reluctant to tell her what he thought about anything. She was understanding, and while she often challenged his opinions and thoughts, she never attempted to forcibly sway him as the Condor did. She respected what he said, simply because _he_ was the one who had said it.

Mark had never thought about Princess in quite this way before, and he felt as if his eyes were being opened.

A slight jerk announced that they had arrived at the military base, and Mark realized that he hadn't heard a word of Cronus' self-congratulatory story. Not that this was really a problem.

"And then, just as my back was turned, one of them pulled a knife out of his boot. But I thought I saw a reflection in one of the medals pinned to my uniform... the Galactic Cluster, I believe…"

The Commander quickly tuned out the Colonel. His brain was beginning to go numb, just from those few sentences, and Mark knew it was best to begin his 'testing' with a clear head.

With only the tiniest portion of his conscious mind actually aware of what he was doing, Mark walked behind Colonel Cronus to the training jet he had been assigned to for the day. The Commander wordlessly climbed into the cockpit, assessing the controls in front of him on a subconscious level, completely unaware of Cronus getting into the cockpit beside him, and barking a series of instructions.

The Eagle's mind was completely occupied with thoughts of the Swan.

Mark smiled quietly to himself, picturing Princess as she had looked that morning: softly sleeping in his bed at the airfield, her ebony tresses spread about her on the pillow in delightful disarray, while her eyelashes fluttered slightly with each breath she took. Her pale skin had seemed almost luminescent; her crimson lips and flushed cheeks an alluring contrast to the porcelain whiteness beneath them. Her delicate features completed the charming picture and for a brief instant Mark had wished for artistic talent; that he might be able to draw this scene and capture it forever. Instead, he had seared the image onto his brain, and he knew that _moment_, not just the visual picture but also the intense emotions he had been feeling, would be with him always.

The thought of Princess in this way stirred in the Commander a deep longing to be with her again; not just physically (although there was no question that he responded to the Swan in _that_ way) but also in his heart, and in his soul.

He belonged with _Princess_; not here in some beat-up old training jet with a man he detested.

Mark's mind jerked him back to reality, and he suddenly realized that he was touching down on the runway.

Somehow, he had been flying with Cronus, and he hadn't paid any attention to one word the Colonel had said. He must have performed quite poorly, but Mark realized that he didn't care. It _didn't matter_ what Cronus thought of him.

What mattered was what _Princess_ thought of him.

Mark pictured Princess as he had before, only now her eyelids were fluttering open, and she was focusing on him. The Swan smiled dreamily at him and held out her arms, beckoning him into her embrace. Her lush curves swam before his eyes, and Mark lost himself thinking about how her satin skin felt beneath his hand as he smoothed it over her breasts, around her waist, and along her hips, toward the junction of her thighs. He imagined his fingers stroking her there, sending her into a frenzy of delight until she was calling out his name…

The Eagle was standing in front of Cronus, where he was supposed to be paying attention to the Colonel's review of his flight techniques. But with his mind on the Swan, his body began to get restless, and soon it became difficult to remain still. It was a horrific torture, having to remain before the indignant, ranting Colonel, while his mind, his heart, and his body cried out to be with Princess. Finally, after an agonizingly long time, Cronus allowed him to leave, and Mark grabbed a ride on a military transport back into Center City, rather than spend one more second with the Red Ranger Captain, who usually drove him home.

Once the Commander was dropped off downtown, he practically broke the land speed record sprinting the few blocks back to Jill's, each second away from Princess driving him to an even greater state of desperation.

When he reached the restaurant, Mark utterly failed in his attempt to appear casual, and Jill winked at him, tossing her head to indicate that he should go upstairs. The Commander grinned sheepishly before dashing out of the bar.

Mark knocked on the door to Princess' apartment, only to find her answering it wearing a short, black, satin robe. Mark's throat went dry as he recalled what lay under the smooth, cool fabric.

"You're back!" Princess cried in delight. "Guess what I did while you were gone?"

Mark shook his head, dazed. He wasn't presently able to think about anything but the physical attributes of the Swan, and the charms she could offer him.

"I went to a little shop around the corner." Princess giggled. "A lovely Australian girl helped me pick a few things out. So…"

The Swan had led him into her bedroom as she was speaking, but now she slowly turned, spinning seductively on her toes as she carefully eased the robe over her shoulders before letting it drop to the floor.

"So what do you think?" she breathed.

The Swan stood in front of him, wearing a red satin… Mark didn't actually know what those things were called, but there wasn't much to it, and the sight of Princess in the alluring garment sent his body into overdrive.

"It's… incredible…" he managed to gasp between gritted teeth. "Now get it off…"

"Off?" Princess asked, confused.

"Before I tear it off…" Mark growled, pulling her into his arms and capturing her lips with his. The Eagle's hands moved upward, finding their way underneath the tiny red straps and pulling the garment from her shoulders, then down over her arms and breasts. She moaned softly as he touched her bare skin, and eagerly helped him divest her of her skimpy attire.

Her welcoming response was all Mark needed, and now there was nothing holding him back as he tore his clothes from his body, then pulled her toward the bed.

Ever since he had kissed her in the Ready Room two days ago, Mark had become addicted to the taste of the Swan. The sweetness and muskiness of her mouth was also present on her skin, and in the past forty-eight hours he had kissed every square inch of her, delighted to discover the same intoxicating quality all over her slim form. The more he tasted her, the more her essence took him over, combining with his body chemistry in such a way that he craved the feelings she engendered within him, bringing him to a place where _she_ was all he needed to sustain himself. He moved instinctively, his hands and mouth covering her body as she cried out her need for him, She reached for his length, obviously eager to feel him inside of her, but he had not yet satisfied his need to taste her.

Moving away from Princess, Mark began kissing her thighs, her delighted cries spurring him onward. The scent of her lust tickled his nostrils, and he found himself drinking of it, his face buried in the soft ebony curls that charmingly framed her most feminine secrets.

"Mark…" she moaned, her voice laden with lust. Her husky tone thrilled him, and he nearly exploded himself as she surrendered to her physical ecstasy, filling his mouth with the evidence of her passion.

He gave her no respite, as his own ardor was yet demanding satisfaction, and he could hold off his lusts no longer. He raised himself up, greeted by her welcoming body as she wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him deeper into herself, as if she would swallow him whole.

His name was again on her lips, as the taste of her was on his, and they kissed, their lusts intermingling as he moved within her, bringing her to the brink so that she could dive over the precipice with him, falling into the deep well of their passion for each other.

"I love you, Princess." he breathed, just before his world exploded in a blinding display of stars, draining him of strength so that he collapsed beside her.

Mark allowed himself a few moments to gather his breath, then rolled over, gently stroking Princess' cheek as she recovered from her _petit mort_. Her unconsciousness no longer worried him, now that he understood her passionate nature.

As her eyes fluttered open, he spoke again, repeating what he had said at the height of his lusts, but this time understanding and incorporating all of the emotion he felt behind those simple words.

"I love you, Princess."

Her eyes sparkled, and an exquisite smile lit up her features.

"I love you too, Mark."

They lay there for a long time in each others' arms, reveling in the peace and emotional closeness they shared, knowing that whatever was to come in their lives, _this_ was what they were _truly_ living for.

_To love, and be loved_.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The harsh jangling noise of the phone was an unwelcome sound, particularly as it rarely brought good news. Galaxy Security Chief William Anderson groaned, loathe to answer it, but knowing at the same time that he had to do so. Reluctantly, he pressed the answering button.

"Anderson, here."

"What the hell is going on with my son?"

"Nice to hear from you, Thom." the Chief muttered dryly. "Could you be a little more specific?"

"When did he go to Riga?" Colonel Cronus demanded.

"Riga?" Anderson was confused. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, Thom. Mark hasn't been to Riga in months."

"He's been to Riga." Cronus growled. "He must have been there on a mission. Or maybe it was a personal trip."

"Mark has not had a mission to Riga in at least three months." Anderson insisted. "And he hasn't had enough time to make a personal trip off planet in nearly a year. In fact, this leave he's on right now is the first real vacation he's had since the G-Force Team was activated. And you saw him yourself this afternoon, so you _know_ that he hasn't been off planet."

"That _can't_ be right." the Colonel muttered, more to himself than to Anderson. "He _must_ have been to Riga."

"Look, I've already explained to you that he hasn't!" the Chief exploded, before his analytical mind forced its way to the fore again.

"What makes you so certain that your son has been to Riga?" Anderson asked anxiously.

"Where else would be come into contact with a Rigan girl?" Cronus shouted, as if this explained everything.

"Rigan girl?" the Chief was astounded. "Are you implying that _Mark_ is… ? No, that's not him at all! Now Jason certainly seems to be…"

"Mark!" interrupted the Colonel angrily. "You've gone and had him in contact with some Rigan girl! I trusted you, William! I thought you had his best welfare at heart!"

Now the Chief was _completely_ confused.

"I don't understand, Thom." he said, doing his best not to lose the little patience he had left. "I haven't had Mark 'in contact' with anyone, except _you_, of course. And he doesn't even _want_ to see you! Do you realize that I had to threaten him with losing his command if he refused to see you, today? It made me _sick_! And if you behave this way with him, I can see why he doesn't prefer your company. Father or not, Thom, I'm not going to force him to see you against his will anymore."

"He hasn't been in contact with anyone?" the Colonel asked, his sharp tone making it evident that he hadn't paid any attention at all to the words the Chief had uttered after that. "And there are _no_ Rigan girls on Earth. No Rigan family would _ever_ let their daughter off-planet…"

"As far as I know, there are _no_ Rigan girls on Earth." Anderson confirmed with a frustrated sigh. "Unless you count Princess."

"_Princess_?"

The coughing and choking on the other end of the line was spectacular, and Chief Anderson actually gloated briefly at having been able to render the Red Ranger Captain speechless. It was not something that happened very often to Thom Cronus.

"Princess?" Cronus sputtered again, after some minutes. "Princess is _Rigan_? I thought she was your niece!"

"She's _half_ Rigan, actually." Anderson clarified smugly, happy to put the Colonel in his place. "Her mother was my sister, Emily. But her father was from Riga."

"So why isn't she with her Rigan family?" Cronus demanded.

"First of all, they're dead." Anderson replied angrily. "Secondly, even if they _were_ alive, I would _never_ let them see Princess. Those insufferable snobs thought their precious boy was 'too good' for my sister. When I saw the way they had treated her I wanted to…"

The Chief forced himself to take a deep breath. This was _not_ the time to lose his temper. He recalled the 'Condor moment' he had had when he had discovered what those people had said to Emily. He did not need to relive that occasion within hearing of the Colonel.

"They may have been Interplanetary Ambassadors," he said, a little more calmly, "but they were classless trash. Now Bryn seemed like a decent sort. I think if he had had a choice…"

"Bryn?" Cronus asked sharply. "Ambassadors? You don't mean Bryn Turlingol?"

"Yes, that was his name," the Chief confirmed.

"I recall there was a scandal…" the Colonel said quietly, "and the subsequent murder of

Ambassador Turlingol and his family by the Spectran Empire was one of the major catalysts propelling Riga into the war…"

Cronus stopped speaking for a moment as he remembered exactly who was listening to him speak.

"But this is an internal Rigan political matter." the Colonel declared. "What is of concern _now_ is that this mongrel excuse for a 'Swan' is half Rigan!"

"Princess is _not_ a mongrel!" Anderson shouted, his temper well and truly lost. "She is _my niece_ and is the sweetest, most intelligent girl you will ever meet! Not to mention a damn good combatant and explosives technician!"

"The bitch is fucking my son!" Cronus raged. "_You_ let it happen, and I want it to stop _now_!"

The next few moments were filled with various Rigan and Human epithets crossing the communication line, accompanied and embellished by the sounds of various thuds, howls and crashes.

Finally, the Chief managed to calm himself down. He now understood why Mark had to have been forced to see his father. Anderson decided that if it were within his power, the Commander would _never_ know that this foul boor was his biological father.

"Look," the Chief said grimly, attempting to diffuse the situation, "we're not getting anywhere like this. Just explain to me why it matters that Princess is Rigan."

"It's a long explanation." Cronus hedged, suddenly sounding meek.

"I have time." Anderson replied coldly.

"I was afraid you would say that." the Colonel sighed. "This is a _very_ sensitive matter, and it is not something we normally discuss with outsiders."

"_You_ were the one who brought it up." the Chief pointed out.

"I'm sorry, William, I can't speak any further on this." Cronus stated.

"Then I guess I'm just going to have to hang up the phone and forget that you ever called." Anderson bluffed.

It didn't take long for the Colonel to bite.

"You _cannot_ let Mark see that girl any longer!" Cronus said, a pleading tone to his voice. "You _must_ take her off of the G-Force Team!"

"I'm not going to do _that_ without a good reason." the Chief replied coldly.

There was a stony silence from the other end of the line before Colonel Cronus spoke again.

"You _cannot_ discuss this with anyone, or put it in any of your files."

"_I_ will be the one to decide that." Anderson smirked. He had Cronus now.

"If you can't promise me this one simple thing…"

"I'll continue to see to it that Mark and Princess spend _all_ of their free time together."

"All right." Cronus groaned, knowing that he had to explain in order to enlist Anderson's assistance.

"Have you ever noticed that Rigan children, particularly girls, are rarely seen outside of their homes or schools?" the Colonel asked.

"I have noticed that, yes." Anderson replied. "I assumed that as a race, you were over-protective of your children."

"That's what we _encourage_ other planets to believe." the Red Ranger Captain admitted. "In fact, there is a much more compelling reason for it. It's a matter of… evolution."

"Evolution." the Chief repeated, not comprehending the meaning behind Cronus' choice of words. "I don't understand."

"No, you wouldn't." Cronus sighed. "This is something we rarely discuss on Riga, much less anywhere else." The Colonel took a deep breath to stiffen his resolve.

"Early in the history of our planet, before Rigans had formed a proper civilization, there were very few Rigan people, and we were spread all over the planet. We were constantly under threat from virulent diseases and large predators. The Rigan people almost died out, about four thousand years ago. But we were saved by an evolutionary 'advancement' known as the _Jitana_."

"What is the Jitana?" Anderson asked quietly.

"It is a rapid maturation process." Cronus explained. "Every Rigan goes through it. Once physical maturity is reached, every Rigan woman undergoes an… initiation… of her sexual drive. If a young man is near the woman during this period, _his_ sexual drive is activated as well."

"Activated…" the Chief paused for a moment before he burst out laughing. "Are you saying that Rigan teenagers go into heat?"

"That's a very crude explanation," the Colonel's response made it clear that he was offended by the Chief's choice of words, "but essentially accurate. A man's Jitana can only be triggered by exposure to a female in _her_ Jitana. This is why I trusted you to take care of my son. I _thought_ he was safe on Earth. A Rigan family would _never_ allow an unwed girl out in public, much less off the planet."

"But Princess is _half_ Rigan… and you think that she is having this 'Jitana' right now? And that Mark is responding?" Anderson was still not convinced.

"This afternoon, my son showed all the signs."

"What signs?"

"His flight performance was perfect."

"What?"

"Perfect. Not a thing wrong. Usually I can make him so nervous that he can't even fly in a straight line."

"Let me get this straight… you're upset because Mark has finally learned how to ignore you?" The amusement in the Chief's tone was obvious to both men.

"And afterward he was agitated and restless. Classic signs of Jitana." The strain in the Colonel's voice spoiled his attempt to ignore Anderson's commentary.

"If you say so." The Chief was _clearly_ not impressed.

"Look, I just want to take him to Riga for a couple of days." Cronus said. "He'll be back before this 'leave' you've given him is over."

"I'm _not_ going to force him to accompany you." Anderson stated. "This is _his own_ decision."

"Of course it is." Cronus lied smoothly.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

When he ended the communication, Colonel Cronus immediately accessed the Rigan Planetary Database, looking up all of the information that was available on Ambassador Turlingol's family; particularly his son, Bryn.

His research turned out to be quite productive. Apparently the boy had been contracted by his parents to marry a girl in the Danzara family, and it was considered safe to bring him to Earth as there was no risk of his being exposed to a Rigan female there. Unfortunately, on a brief visit back to Riga the boy had inadvertently come into contact with one of his female cousins who had just begin her Jitana, and her pheromones had initiated young Bryn's rite of passage. This scandal had been revealed in hushed whispers throughout Rigan society shortly after the Turlingol family's untimely deaths.

Bryn's parents had taken him back to Earth, unaware of this event. It was commonly assumed among Rigan citizens that it was on _this_ journey that the Spectrans had attacked and destroyed the Ambassador's transport.

But classified records revealed that this was _not_ the case. The Ambassador _had_ safely arrived on Earth, only to attempt to leave the planet again twenty-four hours later. Based on what Anderson had told him, Cronus was reasonably certain that it had been during this period of time that the boy had impregnated the Chief's sister, in his Jitana-induced state.

Cronus _had_ to confirm whether or not Mark was in his own Jitana phase. Half Rigans were almost unheard of, since Rigan society was still based on arranged marriages, where the appropriate couples were placed together during the bride-to-be's Jitana phase. Cronus himself had married his wife under such circumstances. If a spouse died in later years, Rigans did not re-marry. They were monogamous, and mated for life. Divorce, affairs, prostitution, sexual promiscuity… these were Human concepts completely unknown to the average Rigan citizen. As a general rule, Rigans did _not_ breed with other species.

A rule that had apparently been broken.

If Anderson's niece _had_ initiated Mark's Jitana, then there was no time to lose. The couple had to be separated _immediately_. The Colonel had already arranged for the boy to wed with the daughter of an important family, and the Red Ranger Captain couldn't afford to have Mark bond with the half-breed bitch with whom Anderson had thrown him together.

Thom Cronus _had_ to take action.

It only took a few minutes for the Colonel to arrive at Jill's, where he found Mark and Princess sharing a booth over a meal. Cronus stormed over to the booth.

"You're coming with me." he ordered the Commander.

"I completed your training session." Mark replied disdainfully. "You have no right to tell me what to do."

"But Chief Anderson _does_." hissed Cronus in Mark's ear. "And _he_ has ordered you to accompany me to Riga."

It was a calculated bluff, and one the Red Ranger Captain knew he would pay for dearly, later on.

But it worked.

"Again?" The Eagle was clearly angry and frustrated by this turn of events. "Fine. I'll go. But Princess comes with me."

"No." Cronus spat. "She's the _last_ person I would want to come with us."

"She comes, or I don't." Mark stood up, both literally and figuratively, to the Colonel.

"You go _alone_, or you lose your command." Cronus hissed, so quietly that only he and the implanted Eagle and Swan could hear the words. Then he turned to Princess.

"You don't want _that_ on your conscience, do you, Missy?" he asked in a condescending tone.

"No." she replied icily, her eyes as hard as granite. For a moment, the Colonel had to fight an urge to look away.

But he was _not_ about to give in to that mongrel bitch.

"See? Even the little girl thinks you should go." he sneered to his son.

Cronus had expected Princess to protest his statement, but she remained as still as a statue; a silent, cold fury the only evidence of her displeasure. It unnerved the Colonel, and he found himself avoiding her gaze. Only the Eagle noted the slight smirk on the Swan's face.

"Let's not drag Princess into this." Cronus suggested, careful not to reveal anything about his emotional state in his tone. "We can discuss this matter outside."

The Commander gestured toward Jill's back door, and the Colonel nodded. The two men walked casually to the exit, with the Red Ranger Captain leaving the restaurant first. Mark turned and sent a quick wink in Princess' direction, before turning and following Cronus out of the establishment.

The Commander was smiling to himself as he walked around the corner of the building, and was completely unprepared for the needle that was jabbed into his right arm.

Thom Cronus shook his head regretfully as his son slumped, unconscious, to the ground. He should _never_ have been able to capture Mark so easily. It was clear that this sorry excuse for a Swan was addling the boy's mind.

He had gotten the Commander away from her clutches just in time.

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Princess became concerned about ten minutes later when Mark did not return. She was certain that Mark had had no intention of going with Cronus, and that even if he had, he surely would have contacted her on her communicator to let her know.

But when she went outside to check on the progress of the 'discussion', both the Colonel and the Commander were gone.

There was no one in sight.

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"What have you done, Thom?"

The Chief's voice clearly indicated William Anderson's outraged state as it came over the communications system in Colonel Cronus' Red Ranger transport vessel. The Colonel looked over at the unconscious Commander strapped into the seat next to him and grinned.

Anderson could rant all he wanted, but Mark was under Cronus' control now. The Chief's niece was no longer a factor, and the Colonel could ensure that his son bonded with the girl _he_ had chose for him.

Luckily, Tranla, a daughter of the prominent Saren family, had just begun her Jitana. She would make an _excellent_ match for Mark. Once they had bonded, the marriage could be celebrated before Cronus brought his son back to Earth. Princess would no longer be a factor, and the Colonel could put this whole matter behind him.

"It doesn't matter what I've done." Cronus replied smoothly to Anderson. "Your Commander will be back in a few days. He will be able to continue leading the G-Force Team."

"You lied to him!" Anderson accused the Colonel. "You told him that he would lose his command if he didn't accompany you!"

"Perhaps I did." Cronus admitted. "But the point is that he _is_ with me. There's not much you can do about it now."

The communication channel closed abruptly, and the Colonel smirked to himself. Clearly the Chief understood the truth of the situation.

The transport docked at Yubaton, the home city of both the Cronus and Saren families. The Colonel quickly had his men drag his son to the Saren home, using a rear entrance to access the main house. The Commander was unceremoniously deposited on a chaise lounge in a large, luxurious bedroom.

Once his men had exited, Cronus administered another injection to his son, before departing the room and signaling to Governor Saren that all was ready.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The Commander woke up with a splitting headache. He groaned, his body restless and agitated; crying out with needs that demanded to be fulfilled.

He needed Princess.

But where was she? For that matter, where was _he_?

Cronus… Colonel Cronus had wanted to take him to Riga. The last thing Mark remembered was leaving Jill's with the Red Ranger Captain, and then…

It was all a blank.

Mark sat up, rubbing his temples and desperately attempting to fight off the now-familiar stirrings of lust that were forming in his body.

He _had_ to find Princess.

_Now_.

But just as he was moving to rise and examine his surroundings, Mark saw that there was someone next to him.

A young girl with shoulder-length light brown hair opened her eyes, looking up at him.

"Hello…" she purred, "I'm Tranla. Who are you?"

Tranla sat up, sliding over next to Mark on the couch.

"Mark…" the Commander stuttered, uncertain of what to do. The look in Tranla's eyes was…

_Where the hell was Princess_?

"How handsome you are…" Tranla smirked, wrapping her arms around a surprised Commander's neck and thrusting her body against his. "Such beautiful eyes…"

Tranla moved toward Mark, pressing her mouth on his for a kiss.

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"Colonel Cronus, I have a Federation warrant for the removal of Mark Turner from your custody." William Anderson's image on the viewscreen was stern, but the Red Ranger Captain merely laughed in the Chief's face.

"And I suppose that when you got that warrant, you told the Judiciary Administration that Mark was _your_ son." Cronus replied.

The Chief blanched.

"That's what you have always _wanted_ me to say." Anderson pointed out. "I love that boy as if he _were_ my son, and I couldn't be prouder of him and what he has accomplished. _You_, on the other hand, have refused to tell him who you are, despite my urging you to do so, and have done nothing but ridicule him every moment you are with him."

"I can't tell him!" Cronus protested. "It's for his own safety!"

"You don't think the _Commander of G-Force_ is capable of taking care of any Spectran assassins who might show up?" Anderson retorted. "Or perhaps _you_ are afraid that if it is discovered that _you_ are related to _him_, that _you_ might be targeted?"

"_What_?"

"Face it, Thom, you're past your prime." The Chief pushed the knife in a little deeper, then twisted it. "It's been over a decade since you've seen the kind of action that Mark faces every mission, and you're just not up to his standard anymore. The Commander is a _much_ greater threat to the Spectran Empire than you are… or _ever_ were."

Anderson smirked to himself. He had exaggerated his statements, but only slightly. He could also tell by the expression on Cronus' face that he had hit a nerve.

"That's low, William." Cronus hissed. "You sit there, all high and mighty, but _you've_ never seen any front line action. All you've done is coddle my boy. If you had had your way, he would have been soft and weak, like _you_!"

"Certainly I don't insult and demean him." Chief Anderson replied calmly. "And I suspect that the only reason you do so is because you can't stand the truth: that he's more accomplished than you are, despite his youth. I saw the look on your face when he earned the highest final exam score at the Space Academy… _ever_. It killed you that he had shattered your record, despite your efforts to break his confidence."

"That's not relevant to this situation." Cronus replied through gritted teeth. "I have the boy now, and _not_ you."

"But I have a warrant for his return." came the firm reply.

"The Commander is _occupied_ at the moment." the Colonel smirked. "He really _can't_ be disturbed. Besides, this is all _your_ fault."

A small red light began blinking on the Colonel's control panel, indicating another incoming urgent communication. Cronus ignored it. Right now the most important thing was his son's future.

A future that would _not_ be with the inaptly named 'Princess'.

"_My_ fault?" Anderson sputtered. "How is this _my_ fault?"

"You're the one who put non-Humans on the G-Force Team!" Cronus replied, smiling now that _he_ was the one doing all of the finger pointing. "If you had just used a Human Swan, like the others…"

"Actually, the only Human on the team is Tiny." Anderson said, sighing heavily. "Jason is half-Spectran, and Keyop is a genetic mix of four different inter-planetary races."

"The Condor is half-Spectran?" Cronus repeated gleefully. "That solves your problem, then! Unlike Humans, Spectran have been known to be… susceptible… to Rigan women's 'charms' during the Jitana. Just let him spend some time with the Swan, and she won't be so upset when Mark comes back and…"

"Comes back and _what_?" Anderson interrupted coldly. "What have you done, Thom?"

"Nothing that isn't within my rights, as his father." Cronus laughed. "And you'll find out soon enough. But don't worry. The Commander will be returned to you shortly."

The Colonel ended the communication, chuckling gleefully at having pulled one over on the Galaxy Security Chief. It was something that didn't happen very often.

Actually, now that he thought about it, Cronus had _never_ gotten the best of Anderson before. This was something to celebrate, then.

The little red light on the Red Ranger Captain's control panel continued to blink insistently.

Cronus sighed. His celebration would have to wait. He activated his response to the incoming transmission. An image of Lieutenant Fharnoi, the Colonel's assistant on Riga, appeared on the screen.

"What is it, Fharnoi?" Cronus asked, concerned by the worried expression on the usually unflappable Ranger's face.

"It's your son!" cried the Lieutenant.

"What?"

"Your son! He's gone!"

"_Gone_? That's impossible?"

"No, Sir, it's not! Apparently he pushed away Governor Saren's daughter and broke out of the room where he had been with her."

"_Broke out_?"

"Yes, Sir. The girl is most upset at being rebuffed, and her father is quite insulted. There is also the matter of significant damages to the door…"

"Well where is he _now_?" Cronus raged.

"We're not certain."

"_Not certain_? How could you lose track of him?"

"Well, Governor Saren was quite angry and I…"

"Damn the Governor! Find my son!"

Another red light began flashing on the Colonel's control panel, only this one was accompanied by a whooping alarm.

"What the hell… ?"

Colonel Thom Cronus turned on the security monitor, just in time to see the image of a Rigan fighter jet taking off from the planet and into space.

A _Red Ranger_ jet.

The _Red Ranger Captain's_ jet.

Fharnoi appeared back on the Colonel's communications viewscreen.

"Uh, Sir, your son was sighted at the Red Ranger Docking Bay."

"Let me guess…"

"He took your jet, Sir."

"I said, 'Let me guess!' damn it!"

"Sorry, Sir."

Things were _not_ turning out as the Colonel had planned.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The Swan's leg shot out in a perfectly executed side kick, smashing the holographic image of a Spectran Blackbird to pieces. If it had been a real man, the pristine white boot of her uniform would now be covered in gore.

Somehow, this just wasn't satisfying enough for her.

Princess wanted to _kill_.

But unlike usual, it wasn't a Spectran she wanted to kill.

Today, she wanted to thrust the pointed heel of her boot into Colonel Cronus' gut. She couldn't believe how he had taken the Eagle from right under her nose! She had _actually_ swallowed his line about Mark losing his command!

Chief Anderson had gotten a warrant demanding Mark's return, but Princess knew it would never work.

She had to stage a rescue mission.

Why hadn't she thought of this before? Instead, she had been wasting her time destroying holographic goons when she could have been following Mark and Cronus to Riga.

She turned to dash out of the room…

Only to see the Eagle standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry I'm late." he grinned, as she threw herself into his arms.

"I forgive you." she whispered huskily, running her gloved hands underneath his wings and over his chest. She loved the way his uniform highlighted his muscular physique.

"You were all I could think about." he admitted. "All that mattered was coming back to you."

"Oh…" she sighed, nearly swooning in his arms as his gloved fingertips brushed the bare skin of her thighs. "That's all I ever wanted to hear…"

The Swan reached up, pulling her helmet from her head and letting it drop to the floor of the training room with a dull thud. She pressed her mouth to the Eagle's chest, her teeth nipping at his nearly-indestructible uniform, sending thrills of pleasure coursing through him, as his fingers teased at the sensitive skin underneath her pink uniform.

His other hand removed his own helmet, and he pulled her head up to his for a hungry kiss, even as his other arm swept her off of her feet and crushed her against him. He bent her over backward, his body covering hers as his fingers resumed their exploration beneath her skirt.

She ran her hands down his torso to his belt, unfastening it and letting it drop to the floor, where it made a muffled clunk as it hit the mats strewn on the ground.

Before he lost all sense of reality, the Eagle had the presence of mind to press his palm against the wall scanner, the device reading his hand print through his glove.

"Training Room Lockdown." he ordered the computer, his breath coming in ragged gasps as the Swan's hands moved beneath his wings. "Commander's override only."

"_Training Room B on G-Force Commander Lockdown."_

The automated voice somehow spurred the Eagle on, and suddenly his last remnants of restraint were lost as he embraced his lover, devouring her with his eyes as a starving man would a feast.

He _had_ been starving; he had been away from this woman for far too long. No one else could satisfy him. That repulsive Tranla had been the last straw. She had attempted to tear his clothes off, but Mark had pushed her away and literally kicked the door down to remove himself from her presence. Her very touch had cooled his passion, because she was not the one who could truly satisfy him.

Only the woman he loved could do that.

The security at Governor Saren's home had been surprisingly lax, and the Commander had had no trouble avoiding the few guards and Red Rangers patrolling the premises to make his getaway unseen.

Stealing into the Red Ranger Headquarters had been slightly more difficult, but it had been easy enough to locate an inexperienced officer and 'borrow' his uniform. That had been sufficient to gain access to Cronus' jet, and transmute to Birdstyle. Once he had taken off, it had been an easy matter to evade his pursuers. After all, he had not chosen that jet because it was the Colonel's, although that did have a sense of justice to it, but because it was the fastest one in the compound.

But now, he was here with Princess, and _that_ was all that mattered. Colonel Cronus would find his jet soon enough. After all, Mark had left it inside the Center Neptune Docking Bay. Unfortunately, the Commander's assumption that the Red Ranger ship was suitable for underwater travel had been incorrect. The Colonel was going to have to perform some cleaning and repair work before he could have his plane returned to Riga.

The Commander's mind did not linger on these pleasant thoughts, for all of his senses were fully engaged by the incredible woman with him. In his eagerness, he had removed her belt and her wings, and his hands were on her hips, inside of her underwear, attempting to slide the article of clothing down her shapely legs. However, unlike the ease with which he had accomplished this task in his fantasy on the Phoenix, the reality posed a problem. The Swan's undergarment simply would not fit over her thigh-high boots.

Not to be deterred, the Eagle grinned, unsheathing his Sonic Boomerang from his discarded belt and extracting the wings. The sharp sound cut through the air, and the Commander used his considerable skill with his weapon to slice through the sides of his Intelligence Officer's underwear, one at a time.

The Swan gasped as her garment was removed in this unorthodox manner, but her breathing quickened when the Eagle's boomerang was re-sheathed and his fingers began to tease at her swollen coral flesh. Her arms wrapped about his waist, pulling him closer as she plucked a feather shuriken from his wings, then lightly ran the sharp tip down the front of his uniform until a thin cut had been made from his neck to his hips. Placing the shuriken between her teeth, she slid her hands inside of his Birdstyle, pulling it from his shoulders and down his arms, where they stopped at his gloves.

Undeterred, she pulled off the blue hand-coverings, with the arms of the uniform following. She then removed her own gloves, tossing them carelessly onto the floor with the other discarded remnants of their Birdstyle. Her now-bare hands slid onto his hips, pulling the material down further, exposing his impressive length to her hungry gaze.

When she was stopped by his boots she simply applied the feather's tip again, cutting around his thighs until the offending portion of his uniform had been removed. Lastly, she unclasped the Eagle's wings, letting them drop to the ground.

Wearing little more than his boots, the Commander could take no more, lowering the Swan to rest on their discarded wings. Her creamy skin glowed against their red linings, highlighting the flush of excitement in her cheeks as her fingers stroked and caressed the center of his masculinity, teasing him until he thought he would explode with lust.

Instead, he rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him so that her chest crushed against his, his male length knocking at the door to her most feminine of places. Carefully, the Swan positioned herself, allowing him slow but gradual access to her honeyed sweetness, until the entirety of him was encompassed within her.

She sat up straight, placing her hands on his chest while his rested upon her hips. He looked up to see his fantasy come to life: the Swan in her pink uniform, welcoming him into her body as he lay beneath her.

She did not move, but contracted her muscles about his masculinity, tightening her inner embrace to massage him in a manner that sent him careening over the edge, taking her with him as he cried out at his peak.

"Princess!"

"Mark!"

She collapsed onto his chest, her satin hair ticking his chin as her cheek rested on his shoulder. She lay in his comfortable embrace for a long moment, until she began to feel him filling her again. Quickly, he rolled her onto her back, while remaining within her, reversing their positions and moving in an instinctive rhythm that had them both surrendering to their passions in a haze of lust and love.

Afterward, Mark wrapped his arms and legs around Princess, staring down at her exquisite face as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

He would _never_ let _anyone_ part him from her again.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Two weeks, Sir."

"Unacceptable."

"But, Sir, that's with our best mechanics working around the clock…"

"Then get better mechanics!"

The Colonel stormed out of the room, his black fury trailing behind him like a dark storm cloud. Lieutenant Fahrnoi shook his head. There was no reasoning with the Red Ranger Captain when he was like this. The Lieutenant had never seen Cronus' face turn that exact shade of purple before.

But then, the Colonel's jet had been quite the sight.

It had taken a Federation Carrier Ship to bring the fighter jet back to Riga, as the craft was definitely _not_ spaceworthy. Accompanying it had been a note of gratitude from Galaxy Security Chief William Anderson, expressing his profound thanks that the Colonel had been gracious enough to 'loan' his own spacecraft to the 'stranded' G-Force Commander. The Chief had also apologized for the 'minor' damages the jet had suffered, and hoped that they would not 'inconvenience' the Red Ranger Captain 'too much'.

No wonder the Colonel was so furious.

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But as it turned out, Colonel Cronus was not merely furious; he was absolutely _livid_. His _jet_, the emblem of his military position, was completely ruined! The Red Ranger Captain had nearly cried when he had seen the sodden interior: cracked leather peeling off of the seat, flight maps and manuals sticking together, electrical shorts sparking from every control panel… and the seaweed decorating his viewscreen had been too much! Even worse, his idiot son had flown the thing through _salt_ water, and the saline was corroding all of the wiring inside of the cockpit, not to mention the plane's exterior.

All of the equipment inside of the jet was going to have to be pulled out and replaced. With any other plane, the entire craft would have been declared a loss, but Colonel Cronus would _not_ allow that to happen to his own jet!

The Red Ranger Captain knew when he had been defeated. If he hadn't figured it out all on his own, Chief Anderson's condescending message had made it crystal clear.

Cronus had lost.

Governor Saren was still furious at the insult done to his daughter, and the Colonel knew that it would be some time before he was able to smooth that particular situation over. Instead of allying their two families, his son had nearly driven a wedge between them! Cronus was just glad that his appointment as Red Ranger Captain was for life, else he was fairly certain that he would have already seen a letter of dismissal from the Governor in his inbox.

It was all because of that damn Princess!

She had undergone her Jitana, and had lured Mark to her! She had gotten her hooks into him and they had bonded right under his nose! Now his son was tied to her, for life.

It was this very facet of bonding that encouraged arranged marriages on Riga, such as the one the Colonel had contracted for his son. Why, Thom Cronus himself would likely never have gotten married if his family hadn't arranged for him to meet Chanelle.

Of course, he had never bonded with Chanelle.

It was something he had forced from his mind, but at times it would rise up, taunting him. Chanelle had entered her Jitana phase, and had bonded with another young man her family had selected for her. But the would-be suitor had unfortunately died of a rare disease. Chanelle's family had been frantic to find her a new match on such short notice, and under such disastrous circumstances. Thom's father had seized upon the opportunity to move his family up the social scale. It had been this clever maneuvering that had gotten Thom Cronus into a position where he was actually considered for the post of Red Ranger Captain.

It wasn't until some time later that Thom Cronus discovered that Chanelle had contracted the same disease as her former fiancé, only it had lain dormant for a number of years, only flaring up again when Mark was about seven years old. Thom Cronus himself might have suffered the same fate, but for his military inoculations that had prevented such a thing. Fortunately, Mark had been given the same inoculations and treatments, once Chanelle's condition had been diagnosed, and he had escaped the illness.

When Chanelle had died, Thom hadn't really mourned her. He had never really been a part of her life, and she had not truly loved him the way Rigan women were _supposed_ to love their husbands. It pained the Colonel to know that his son could now never truly bond with someone else, but at least Mark could have a wife who loved _him_.

As long as that wife was _not_ Princess.

The thought of his son marrying a half-breed was too much to bear. Thom Cronus had worked too hard and had sacrificed too much to see his family name dragged through the mud in such a scandalous manner.

And it would be _his_ name. Eventually, it would _have_ to come out that Mark Turner was in reality Mark Cronus.

But that would happen only _after_ Mark had led the Federation to victory over the Spectran Empire. Presently, Mark Turner was simply a penniless youth living on the charity of William Anderson. But having the G-Force Commander for a son… _that_ would truly bring status to the Cronus family.

As long as Princess was out of the picture.

At least he didn't have to worry about grandchildren. Although Rigans were incredibly fertile during the Jitana, the Colonel knew that Chief Anderson had programmed the G-Force Team's cerebonics to ensure a zero sperm count; or in the Swan's case, prevent ovulation.

At least William Anderson had been on the ball in _that_ regard.

All Thom Cronus had to do was permanently remove the Swan from his son's life. Unfortunately, after this recent disaster, he would have to wait. He would just bide his time, and strike when the opportunity arose.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

For the remaining few days of their leave, Mark and Princess were in each other's arms constantly, exploring _all_ of the facets of their new relationship with each other. By the time the rest of the team had returned from their vacations, the Eagle and the Swan found that they were capable of refraining from physical intimacy for a few hours at a time, as long as they were in close proximity to each other. Of course, even _this_ behavior was different from usual, and Jason, Tiny and Keyop noticed this new closeness between their friends immediately.

The three teammates simply congratulated Mark and Princess (with not a few 'about time' comments being bandied about) and life went on as usual, following the standard routine of missions and training. It seemed that Spectra had applied their 'fire weapon' technology to an enormous Sea Dragon mecha whose mouth spewed flames that overwhelmed even the Fiery Phoenix.

Fortunately, thanks to their early intelligence about the Spectran project, Dr. Nambu had been able to develop a Frigid Midget Bomb to defeat the attack craft, and the planet Aquatica had been saved, although it had been a close call for Mark, as he had almost perished while planting the device on the alien mecha. It appeared that the results of this encounter had been successful in persuading the Spectrans that this form of attack would not work against the Federation, and Zoltar had not used this technology again since.

It was some weeks later when Princess discovered that she was pregnant. She immediately told Mark, who was surprised, but as thrilled as she. The couple agreed not to reveal this momentous news to anyone else, for fear that Princess would not be permitted to remain an active member of the G-Force Team.

Also in secret, the couple made plans to get married, in order to create a proper family for their coming child. This was kept from the others as well, for fear of Chief Anderson's disapproval. Mark and Princess hoped that sometime in the next few months they could convince him to accept their relationship, and _then_ wed.

To that end, both the Swan and the Eagle put forth a tremendous effort to make their relationship appear more casual to their foster father, in order to ease him into these significant changes.

Amidst all of this came the most disturbing news of all.

Colonel Cronus was Mark's father.

At first, Mark had existed in a state of unreality upon learning this news. When he had actually discovered this biological fact, the Colonel had been ready to pilot a rocket into the atmosphere to save the Earth. He had kept Mark from performing this task; effectively preventing the Commander of G-Force from doing his job. He had seemed somewhat smug about it too, as if he had had some need to prove that _he_ could do anything better than Mark, even if the task in question was 'dying heroically'. To prove his point, he had grabbed ahold of the shocked Eagle and tossed him across the room, smugly declaring that 'no one was going to stop him'.

For a brief instant, Mark had contemplated actually forgiving Cronus for his past actions, but this behavior had just confirmed what the Commander had known all along.

Father or no, Thom Cronus was _not_ a man Mark Turner would _ever_ want to be close to.

Of course, as it had turned out, the Colonel hadn't died. He had managed to eject himself out of the rocket just before impact. Mark still wasn't entirely certain how he felt about that. He hadn't seen Cronus since, and it disturbed him to think of his being related so closely to a man he had always despised. In a way, he would almost prefer to be related to Zoltar, and he began to wish that he had never uncovered this biological fact.

But the Commander had _wanted_ to know. He had _needed_, deep inside, to find his father, once he had heard that the man was alive.

In a way, it _was_ better than before. Now Mark knew what kind of a man his father _truly_ was, and he was finally able to shut the door on that part of his life. The Eagle wanted to be _nothing_ like his father, and at long last, he was able to turn his back on the entire matter.

As far as Princess was concerned, it didn't matter who Mark's father was. Much as she disliked Cronus, she didn't want to come between Mark and his family, if the Commander wanted to deepen that relationship. But Mark had stated that his future was with _her_, and with their child, and she was content to fill that role in his life.

Two days later, reports began coming in of missing women, all of whom had apparently vanished on dark, rainy nights. The local police could not solve the mystery, so on a hunch, Mark decided to investigate on the following night. He told Princess that he was going out on a walk, hoping that she wouldn't follow him. After all, she didn't just have _her own_ safety to think about, anymore. He didn't want to see her hurt, and it was only young women who had been targeted.

As it turned out, it didn't matter. The Swan was working at Jill's, and despite the marked lack of customers, was unable to leave since the proprietress was gone for the night.

But the Eagle's attempt to protect the Swan backfired. Just as Princess had her back turned, the restaurant was invaded by fierce alien predators: elephant-sized vicious flowers that attempted to attack the young woman.

Princess avoided the plants' sinuous tentacles and raced out into the rainy night, only to be surrounded by another large group of the hostile flowers. Keeping her wits about her, the Swan leapt straight up to Jill's roof, transmuting and defeating the alien plant life with well-aimed blasts from her yo-yo.

When Mark returned and heard what had happened to Princess, he was distraught, mentally cursing himself that he had not stayed with her. But Princess would not have it.

"Do you really think things would have gone any differently if you had been there?" she asked him. "I defeated them, and got out of there without a scratch!"

"But suppose you hadn't?" Mark responded. "I should have been there to protect you!"

"Protect me?" Now the Swan's dander was up. "Since _when_ do I need protecting?"

"Since you conceived our child." the Eagle attempted to reason with her. "I don't want anything to happen to our baby."

"I would _never_ let anything happen to our baby!" Princess declared. "I would _die_ to protect this child!"

"That's what I'm afraid of." Mark admitted. "I can't lose you, Princess; not just when I've found you…"

"You won't lose me, Mark." Princess insisted. "I have more resolve than ever to fight, knowing that you love me."

"More than anything."

"I love you too, Mark."

The couple had fun making up after their first argument, but the issue in question still remained between them. The next day, Princess found Mark hovering over her more than usual, and while she enjoyed the attention, she did _not_ appreciate the reasons behind it. She was almost relieved when the Commander was called away for a meeting with Chief Anderson late that afternoon, and she immediately began researching the Fierce Flowers in the Federation Databanks.

But before she had really gotten started, she received an incoming communication from Riga.

_Riga_? Princess didn't know anyone on Riga. But she double-checked and the transmission was definitely addressed to her.

Curiously, she answered the hail, but was disappointed to see Colonel Cronus' face appear on the viewscreen in front of her.

"Princess!" the Colonel was all smiles. "I'm so glad I've caught you. Are you alone at the moment?"

"Yes…" she answered uncertainly. She didn't trust the Red Ranger Captain, and she began recording the transmission, just to be on the safe side.

"Good." Cronus grinned. The expression on his face sent shivers down Princess' spine.

"I had actually expected that you might have been left alone." the Colonel went on. "Your Commander is trying to exclude you from the efforts to fight those alien flowers, isn't he?"

"How did you know?" Princess was genuinely surprised.

"I know Mark pretty well." Cronus bragged. "After all, I _am_ his father, and I was also his primary instructor at the Space Academy. He is always very protective of those under his command." The Colonel paused, sensing that he was hitting a nerve with Princess.

"Sometimes, he can even be _too_ protective: not letting his Officers work with the space they need." he added.

"Perhaps…" Princess hedged.

"Oh, I think I'm right." Cronus insisted. "After all, these plants are going after young _women_. Who on the G-Force Team is best suited to lure out these flowers if not _you_?"

The Colonel stopped speaking for a moment, smirking inwardly at the thoughtful expression on the Swan's face.

"And yet, here you are: left out of everything." he whispered insidiously. "It's a shame that Mark can't see past the end of his nose to realize what an asset you truly _could_ be in stopping this menace."

"I think that's quite enough, Colonel." the Swan replied coldly.

"As you say, Princess." Cronus said amicably, before terminating the transmission.

The seed had been sown.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Princess grimaced to herself. The smug bastard had a point.

The Swan detested Colonel Cronus in general, and more specifically for what he had done to Mark, But she was good enough at her job to be able to distance herself from that and see the kernel of truth in what the Red Ranger Captain had had to say.

She was the best person to lure out the flowers. The guys had been trying unsuccessfully to capture one alive, and so far had not been able to find any of the elusive plants.

And despite the fact that last night Chief Anderson had all but ordered her to go out after the flowers in the synthetic second skin that he had developed, Mark had not sanctioned her involvement.

There was no way in hell that the Commander was going to let her go out to find one on her own.

Yet that was _exactly_ what she needed to do.

The truth was that in a couple of months she would not be allowed to be an active member of G-Force any longer. While she already loved her unborn baby with a fierce devotion, deep down she resented that inevitable result of her pregnancy. She would miss going out with the team and giving her all to fight Spectra.

But she could do this. Right here, right now, she was capable.

She could do it.

She _would_ do it.

But it was dangerous. No matter how upbeat Zark tried to be about it, Princess knew that the women who had encountered these flowers were all dead. She couldn't risk her baby's life… _her_ life… that way.

But… none of those women had been wearing Chief Anderson's protective shield.

Zark had designed the second skin for deep sea diving, but the Chief had modified it to work against the flowers.

Princess stood up. She had to go see Chief Anderson.

It was time to accept the mission she had been offered.

88888

A couple of hours later, the Swan was back at Jill's, wearing the protective shield underneath her civvies. She threw her leg over her motorcycle, only to see Keyop approaching her.

"Breep… broop… always raining." Keyop said cautiously.

"That's when the flowers come out." Princess replied. She refused to take the bait that the boy was laying out for her. Mark would find out eventually what she had done. She just hoped that it would be later, rather than sooner.

"Dreet... droot… coming with you."

Princess sighed. Keyop wasn't the Swallow for nothing. Not to mention that they knew each other so well that he could see right through her. The Swan did her best to put on a bright, carefree smile, projecting that attitude as she spoke.

"Thanks, Keyop. But I'm a big girl, and I'm really capable of taking care of myself."

"Yeah..." Keyop looked at the floor, clearly unimpressed.

"This will protect me." Princess pulled the protective shield from her skin for a brief instant, and the two of them watched it sparkling between her fingertips. It suddenly appeared to be an all too thin barrier between the Swan and certain death, if she were to encounter one of the alien plants.

"Broot... dreet… not foolproof."

For all of his speech impediment, Keyop was a master of understatement. But Princess gritted her teeth, more determined than ever to do this.

If Mark wasn't going to stop her, certainly Keyop wasn't going to be a problem.

"Wait here for me." she ordered, revving her motor. "There's no sense in you coming along to risk being caught."

She rode off into the darkness, leaving the morose boy behind her in Jill's garage. Princess knew that chances were good that he would tell Mark what she was doing. But by the time they found her, she would have a flower for them, and that was all that mattered.

But what Princess didn't realize was that rather than contact the Commander, Keyop had decided to follow her in his de-transmuted Space Buggy. Had she known, she probably would have tried to lose the Swallow, but she was so intent on her prey that she didn't notice her tail.

The Swan quickly found the flowers, but by then it was too late. The vicious alien plants knocked her off of her motorcycle before she had a chance to react, or even grab her weapon, and she found herself suspended in mid-air; dangling by her ankle above the gaping crimson maw of the largest flower.

And then, everything plunged into blackness…

88888

When Mark first heard the news that Princess had disappeared he didn't believe it. She _knew_ that he didn't want her going after the flowers. Now that she was carrying their child, the risk was too great.

But when Keyop brought him to the location where he claimed Princess had disappeared, the Commander knew with a dreadful certainty in his heart that the Swallow was telling the truth.

When the team returned to Center Neptune, Chief Anderson had more disturbing news. A recording had been found in the data cache on the Ready Room computer; a copy of a communication between the Swan and Colonel Cronus.

As Mark watched the data flashing across the screen in front of him, his anger grew. His father was interfering again: undermining his authority by pushing Princess to disobey her Commander. Instinctively, the Eagle understood that it was not because the Colonel had an interest in finding a way to stop the flower menace, but was instead a means to lash out at the son who had rebuked him.

The only good news in this whole mess was that apparently Princess had been wearing the protective shield Chief Anderson had developed, so there was still hope that the Swan was alive.

Princess _had_ to be alive.

Baby or not, Mark couldn't live without her.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Dark… cold… pain…

These three sensations washed through Princess over and over again. She struggled to pull her hand free of the giant flower's mouth, so that she could contact her team… contact _Mark_… but it was no use. The plant's vicious grasp was absolute, as it refused to let her go, despite its inability to digest her. Princess clung to the image of Mark in her mind.

She _had_ to survive.

For Mark's sake, and for the sake of their unborn child.

88888

"She _what_?"

Colonel Cronus could not believe what he was seeing. But the top secret Federation report had been written by Chief Anderson himself, and there was no doubt as to its veracity.

The Swan had gone after the flowers alone, as Cronus had hoped she would. She had been captured and eaten by the flowers, as he had expected.

But a _protective shield_? For deep sea divers? How in the hell had they come up with such a thing? When the Red Ranger Captain had heard about the alien flower invasion on Earth, flowers that only attacked _women_, it had seemed like the perfect solution to his problems.

But now, thanks to Chief Anderson and that pesky tin can Galaxy Security called a robot, his brilliant plan had been torn to shreds.

The Colonel sighed.

It was time to get his hands dirty.

88888

Four young men stared at the field of flowers that stretched out below them, covering the horizon as far as the eye could see. All of them were filled with a desperate hope, but none more so than the Commander.

Princess _had_ to be there, somewhere. She was inside one of those flowers. He _knew_ it, deep inside of his soul.

Mark was desperate to get Princess back. Not just because his body was aching for her, although that in itself had robbed him of his sleep, but also because the possibility of living the rest of his life without her was too terrible to contemplate. For the moment, even his concern for his unborn child had faded next to his overwhelming terror at the thought that Princess might…

These thoughts weighed so heavily on his mind that he almost missed Chief Anderson approaching their position. It was only the sound of the Chief's voice that completely brought him back to reality.

"I need your help, Commander, on a very delicate decision."

_Now_ Anderson wanted his help? Mark hadn't forgotten that it had been on _the Chief's_ authority that Princess had gone after the flowers in the first place. Anderson hadn't taken the Commander's opinion into consideration _then_.

"Tough spot, Commander." Tiny muttered.

"Breet... have to firebomb… droot… flowerbeds." Keyop deduced.

"Forget it Chief. We're not bombing those flowers until we get Princess out of there." Mark declared. If Anderson wanted him to rubber stamp his decision, the Commander was having none of it.

"Hear me out first." the Chief pleaded. "We must destroy those flowers, or Earth is doomed."

"No way!" Jason growled, clenching his hand into a fist. "I want no part of it. Not until we find Princess."

"By then it will be too late." Anderson argued with a calm logic. "I know how you all feel, but our duty comes first. We _must_ destroy these flowerbeds."

"No! Princess may still be trapped in one of those flowers!" Jason argued vehemently.

The moment suddenly froze in time, and Mark could see veins angrily throbbing underneath the corded muscles in Jason's neck. Chief Anderson's face was masked with a cool detachment, while Tiny and Keyop appeared hurt and bewildered.

Mark moved to step forward, ready to back up Jason and deny Anderson's request, but then the Chief's words rang out in his head, stopping him momentarily in his tracks.

_Our duty comes first_.

Duty. What did it mean, anymore? He had been doing his duty for years, and where had it gotten him? Spectra still fought the Federation at every turn, and more innocent people died every day.

But even more innocent people would die if they didn't stop these fierce flowers.

An image of Princess filled the Commander's mind.

"Listen to your heart, Mark." she was pleading with him. "You can't let those people die. You can't let that be on your conscience. I know you. You would never be able to live with yourself, if innocent civilians died, and you could have prevented it."

"But I can't live without you, either!" Mark protested to the phantom Swan.

"You don't have to…"

Mark swallowed hard, understanding what his mind was trying to tell him.

"Looks like we don't have much choice, Jason." the Commander said quietly.

The Condor's mouth fell open, and he stared at the Eagle incredulously, his eyes begging Mark to justify himself, to explain that what he had just said was _not_ an agreement to kill Princess. Tiny and Keyop appeared equally astounded, their eyes round with shock and fear.

"It must be done quickly, before the next rain scatters more spores." Chief Anderson spoke quickly, perhaps sensing that the Commander could easily change his mind again. "You will fly your plane over those flowerbeds, Commander. Empty your fuel tanks over them. The Phoenix will be waiting. When you finish the flowerbeds will be ignited."

"Find someone else to fly the Phoenix." Tiny sat down on the ground, verbally and physically protesting the decision that had already been made.

"That goes for me too!" Jason said angrily. "There _has_ to be some other way. There just has to be!"

The Eagle wavered for a split second; a large part of him desperately wanting to side with his teammates. But Princess' face rose up in his mind again, a warning expression on her face.

"We have no choice." Mark gulped. "The flowers must be destroyed. We swore an oath to defend Earth against _all_ invaders. That is what we've trained for; this is what we must do."

_He couldn't live without Princess…_

_He didn't have to…_

The Commander's mind was already dead, his body acting on some strange kind of autopilot as he moved toward his plane. Somewhere deep inside of him a voice was screaming. Why hadn't the others stopped him? Mark _wanted_ to be stopped.

But that wasn't going to happen. They had already tried, and failed. The only one who could stop him now was himself. But Mark had chosen to do what Princess wanted.

He would join her, in death.

He couldn't live without her, especially not knowing that it was _his_ hand that was responsible for the ultimate blow. If Princess had to die, if their baby had to die, then so would he. He would find the two of them in whatever afterlife he ended up in, and beg for Princess' forgiveness, for the rest of eternity.

Even if he wasn't worth it.

Mechanically, he started his plane, taking off into the air until he had reached the correct altitude for what he had in mind.

"Princess…" he moaned, a futile prayer for her safety echoing from his heart. Carefully, he opened his fuel tanks, spreading the flammable liquid over the field of death below, the giant red blossoms seeming to laugh at him as he did so.

The Eagle took one final pass over the area, his heart and soul screaming out for the Swan.

But he could not find her.

"Fuel tanks empty." he reported to Chief Anderson. "I'm going down. Impact will ignite."

The moment had arrived. He took one last breath of life, embracing the death that was about to come.

He pushed the stick forward, tilting the plane's nose toward the ground.

"Come in Mark. We're waiting."

The Condor's voice interrupted the Eagle's intent, and instinctively the Commander leveled off his aircraft, before he realized what he was doing.

His words penetrated Mark's consciousness, and he watched in horror as a TBX Missile whizzed through the air, on its way to ignite the field of flowers. The silvery rocket exploded, stealing away Mark's chance to join Princess in their fiery dance of death and negating the Eagle's intended sacrifice.

Only subconsciously aware of what he was doing, Mark glided his plane to the Phoenix, his final few drops of fuel expended in that small effort.

The giant warship landed, and the four young men disembarked to stand on the hillside, watching the destruction below them.

Unable to tear his eyes away, Mark watched the sea of flowers burning, and with them, the only woman he would ever, _could_ ever, love.

"Princess!" he screamed, falling to his knees as the realization of what he had done hit him like a tidal wave.

A cold fury surged up inside of the Commander, and he silently swore at his teammates who had robbed him of the fate he deserved.

He didn't _deserve_ to live.

And he sure as hell didn't deserve to lead the G-Force Team.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Dark… cold… pain…

But suddenly, the pain was not her own. An overwhelming heat passed over her, and in an instant she was able to pull her hand free, wrapping her arm around her body in an instinctive attempt to protect the unborn child within her.

The organic casing around her writhed in its final agony of death, spewing a flood of spores into the air in as its only attempt at survival. Princess curled into a tiny ball, every nerve in her body sensing the approaching fire, yet determined that _somehow_, she would not become its victim.

She did not fall to the fire.

It was the acrid smoke, laden with the scent of jet fuel, that eventually overwhelmed her, long before the crimson flames ever reached her ivory skin.

88888

Mark sat alone in the darkened room, tearing at his hair while tears streamed down his face.

The flowers had returned.

Princess had died… for nothing.

At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to join her.

It would be so easy… he pulled his Sonic Boomerang out of his pocket, running his thumb along the edge, pressing it lightly against his skin, feeling the sharpness of the blade.

Purposely, he altered the angle of his thumb by a hair, causing the weapon to slice into the pad of flesh. Fascinated, he stared as dark drops of blood oozed from the tiny wound, barely visible against his pale skin in the poorly illuminated room.

He moved over to the window, letting the few sun rays that were able to penetrate the ocean waters at this depth show him the macabre perfection of blood against flesh.

How easy it would be… open up the wound a little more and throw himself into the ocean, letting the sharks tear him to bits in a gory feeding frenzy.

It was no less than he deserved.

Yet… if he let that happen, he would never be able to avenge Princess' death.

He had remained alive for a purpose: revenge. He would live as long as it took to avenge Princess' death, and the death of their child.

And not one second longer.

88888

"Are you _sure_? This girl is just a kid!"

"She's the one."

"The Swan? A member of G-Force? Come on…"

"This is she."

"A _teenager_? And one who has no fashion sense, I might add. Are you _certain_?"

"How many other girls survived the flowers? And _this_ one survived the fire as well."

"Ah, well, good point."

"I _thought_ you'd see it my way."

"So, how did she survive?"

"Apparently, she has some kind of synthetic shield on her body."

"Those pants? I'd rather _die_ than wear candy cane bell bottoms. Even _if_ vertical stripes are supposed to be slimming."

"No." There was a sigh. "An _invisible_ shield. A protective barrier over her skin and hair."

"Oh." The voice was thoughtful. "How do we know this?"

"Our informant told us."

"And you trust him?"

"I have no reason not to."

"But he's Rigan! Why would he betray the Federation?"

"Are you saying that a Rigan citizen would not be able to appreciate the numerous advantages of being a part of the glorious Spectran Empire?"

"Uh… no… it's just…"

"Look, he was right about a girl having survived the flowers. And he was right about the protective shield."

"He was?"

"Yes, take a look."

Princess did her best not to move or open her eyes as she listened to the conversation the two men were having. She was grateful to the synthetic skin for helping her survive, but she quickly realized that she was now in a lot more trouble.

She had been captured by Spectra.

Princess felt a small pinch on her arm, and a feeling like that of a bandage being ripped off. It took everything in her not to flinch, and give the impression that she was still completely unconscious.

"That's incredible! So sheer… I can't even see it now!"

"Yes. Lord Zoltar wanted us to remove it and study it, but it seems to be dissolving into her skin. I'd guess that it was only made for a limited duration of use, or that the powerful digestive acid of the flowers has been eating away at it. If it hadn't been for the fire, I suspect that she would be dead by now. Still, we managed to take a sample."

"Why don't you just remove the whole thing, before it's gone?"

"Because that would likely kill her. We need to get as much information from her as we can, before she is disposed of."

"And that's where _I_ come in?" The voice was almost gleeful.

"Yes. You may be ignorant and infantile, but you're damn good at this kind of thing. I suppose that's the _only_ reason Lord Zoltar keeps you on."

"Oh, there's more to it than _that_…" the voice purred seductively.

"I _don't_ want to know about that. _Really_. It's the furthest thing from my mind."

"Are you _sure_, Captain Morloc? Because you know, Lord Zoltar is busy tonight. But _I'm_ not…"

"We have to question the prisoner!" Captain Morloc's tone was strained.

"All right! Party pooper. What is it you want to know from her?"

"We need to find out everything she knows about the G-Force Team and their operations: their civilian identities, their weaknesses, the design of the Phoenix and their Birdstyles. Oh, and of course, ask her about that protective skin."

"Of course. I have just one question, though."

"What's that?"

"How much can I hurt her? Sometimes, Lord Zoltar enjoys the _pleasure_ of handling these things himself, especially with a prisoner of this importance. I don't want to overstep my bounds."

"Don't mark her skin… yet. Let's see how co-operative she is, first."

"Excellent…"

Princess was not certain of what was going on until she felt a sharp pinprick on her skin. A burning sensation began at that spot, spreading through her body and filling her with an intense pain, the like of which she had never experienced.

Despite herself, the Swan gasped and her eyes popped open, only to see two Spectrans standing over her. One was a rather effeminate-looking goon holding a syringe. He was wearing a white lab coat over his uniform, but lacked the usual mask. The other was wearing some kind of crazy Captain's uniform that looked like a bat …

Even as Princess attempted to observe and catalogue this information in her brain, the pain wracked through her, uncontrollable spasms taking over her body.

"I _knew_ that would wake her up." the lab-coated goon smirked.

"Now, administer the truth serum!" the Captain ordered.

"All in good time…" The goon's voice sounded very far away. The pain was becoming too much even for the implanted Swan to take.

"She's passing out again!" Morloc yelled. "Wake her up!"

"I'm on it…"

This time, the Swan gratefully slid into the blackness that claimed her.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"Where are those damn Spectrans?" Mark shouted, slamming his hands onto the wings of his plane.

"We'll find them." Jason replied grimly. The Condor looked as if he hadn't slept in days, which was likely the case. None of the G-Force Team had been able to rest since they had lost Princess.

The two friends sat, depressed, in the Docking Bay of Center Neptune. Ostensibly, they were supposed to be working on their vehicles, but in reality they were merely chafing at the bit, frustrated to be lacking a target upon which to vent their anger.

"But _when_, Jason?" Mark growled, slamming his fist into the wall. The pain felt good, helping him clear his mind. The pale band of skin on his wrist caught his eye, and a stab of regret shot through him as he recalled taking off his communicator in anger, when the Chief had tried to contact him at the airfield. The band still lay on his desk, useless without him. He had run into Jason at Jill's, and the Condor had followed him back to Center Neptune.

"Princess' death has really gotten to you." Jason said quietly, looking over at the Commander with his intense grey eyes. "You really loved her."

"She was _everything_, Jason." Mark admitted, hanging his head in shame. "She was everything, and I threw it all away, following orders that were completely useless!"

"That explains why you've taken over my job of punching the walls." Jason observed wryly. "Mark, you've got to get ahold of yourself. I'm the first person to understand the benefits of using your anger on a mission, but you can't let it take you over like this."

"I agree."

The two young men looked up to see Colonel Cronus walking toward them, a smug expression on his face.

"I agree." the Red Ranger Captain repeated. "If you are truly a _Commander_, you'll get over this foolish obsession with the girl and get back to your job. You've still got yourself a team. And we can find you a new explosives expert."

"We could _never_ replace Princess!" Jason shouted angrily, jumping up to glare in Cronus' face. The Eagle stood as well, his movements slow, yet threatening. His icy scorn shouted louder than words that his feelings on the matter were no less than the Condor's.

"She's not irreplaceable." the Colonel scoffed, seemingly oblivious to the anger and hatred emanating from the two most dangerous men in the Federation. "Why, I could have one of my Rangers sent down by the end of the day."

The Colonel's words ended abruptly as the Commander's fist connected with his jaw.

"You… You _dare_ to suggest such a thing? After _you_ were the one who sent her off on that damned mission? You _knew_ I didn't want her to go!"

Cronus' head reeled back with the impact of the hit, his face stunned for a moment.

The Red Ranger Captain opened his mouth… and laughed.

"Finally!" he cried. "My son has some gumption after all!"

This time, it was the Condor who moved first, but just as his fist was about to connect with Cronus' stomach, he was stopped by the Eagle's hand on his arm.

"This is _my_ fight." he said, with deadly quiet.

"Oh, very good, boy." the Colonel said condescendingly. "You can _actually_ fight your own battles, can you?"

The Commander's leg flashed out in a roundhouse kick, moving to connect with the Colonel's stomach. Cronus twisted his body, absorbing the blow in a much less painful location, and thrust his fist at the Eagle's face. The Commander took the hit to his chin, but he ignored the blow. He unsheathed his Sonic Boomerang even as his leg moved behind the Colonel's for a sweep, knocking Cronus to the floor.

"This is _none_ of your business." the Commander hissed, waving his weapon in the surprised Colonel's face. "You may have been the instigator of this disaster, but it is no longer your problem!"

"Now, son…"

"As far as I'm concerned, my father is dead!" Mark spat. "Get out!"

But before the Red Ranger Captain could respond, the Eagle had stalked out of the door.

The Commander was gone.

88888

Mark shut the door to the shack at his airfield, a painful bruise forming in the spot where Cronus had hit him. He closed his eyes, leaning against the wall for a moment and attempting to let his rage drain away.

At any other time, hitting Cronus would feel _very_ good. But today… today all he could feel was relief that he was finally alone with his anger.

He had thought that Jason, of all people, would understand. Jason had been seeking revenge on the Spectrans for as long as Mark had known him. Even as a boy, the Condor had been filled with the bitterness of losing his parents, unable to let it go and move on. It was always the Condor who had been out for revenge, the Condor whom the Commander would have to hold back, the Condor who shot first and asked questions later.

But Jason had _not_ understood. He had advised Mark to let his anger go.

Mark would _never_ let it go.

His rage was all that was driving him. Without it, the guilt and depression would overwhelm him, and thoughts of suicide would return.

He couldn't let that happen. Not before avenging Princess' death.

That Mark, himself, was one of the people responsible… one of the people who must be punished… was something his mind couldn't deal with at that moment. The Commander paced the room, wondering what to do. Where could he go? What kind of lead could he follow?

Where could he find Zoltar?

A soft noise interrupted his thoughts. At first, his subconscious pushed it away, but then he ran over to his desk, a sudden feeling of hope taking over his entire being.

His communicator was flashing.

It was an emergency call in G-Force Secret Code… from Princess.

It _had_ to be. Who else knew this code, and would be calling in an emergency like this?

"Princess, give me the coordinates of your location."

He knew that she couldn't hear him, yet he fervently hoped that somehow his desperate plea had gotten through.

But as suddenly as it had begun, the signal stopped.

It had been _real_.

A message from Princess.

"We'll find you." he whispered, cementing the promise inside of his heart.

The Commander had work to do.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Princess kept her eyes closed, feigning unconsciousness. It was not difficult to do, as she had been slipping in and out of reality for some time. For how long, she wasn't certain, but it must have been hours… perhaps days. Whatever drugs they were giving her were wreaking havoc on her system, and she had no reliable sense of the passage of time. Even her implant seemed to be unable to cleanse them from her system, which meant that whatever it was, the Spectrans had given her a significant dosage. Thankfully, having been unconscious, they had been unable to question her. During her few lucid moments, she had been extremely grateful for that.

Once, she had been clear-headed long enough to attempt to use the G-Force Secret Code to contact Mark. But then Captain Morloc had entered the room, and she had had to stop. She had waited for another opportunity, but much of her time had been spent in the drug-induced haze forced on her by her captors.

Captain Morloc was speaking, but his voice sounded far away, and it echoed around her. At first she thought that it was the effect of the various alien narcotics on her brain, but as she struggled through the fog in her mind she realized that it was not that: the effect was real. Morloc was standing above her, and with the slight reverberation in his speech, she deduced that the ceiling must be rather high; significantly higher than the Captain, anyhow. Something in her analytical mind realized that she was probably in one of the Spectran 'atrium' rooms; likely at the bottom, since Morloc was above her.

She was lying on something hard, and her fingertips felt a hardness next to them as well. Yet, she wasn't completely enclosed, as she sensed a rush of air across her face.

Captain Morloc's words finally penetrated her brain, and her eyes flew open.

"Your friends will join you soon, Princess."

What did that mean? Was she being used as bait, to lure them here? She only hoped that the G-Force Team could avoid whatever trap Spectra was setting for them.

But if anyone could, it would be Mark. Princess' confidence in her Commander was strong. He would be safe. He _had_ to be.

But would she? Now Captain Morloc was instructing his men on the operation of some kind of machine. She looked around, and realized that he was referring to the device immediately above her. And by the look on his face, she knew.

He was going to kill her.

Now that she had been used as bait, and since they couldn't get any information from her, she had apparently outlived her usefulness to the Spectrans. She was not surprised. Even the synthetic skin had even dissolved away, although it had left a strange residue on her hair that the Spectrans weren't able to analyze. Princess bit her lip in frustration. She had hoped that there would be a bit more time for her to contact Mark; that they would take longer than they had to come to a decision with regards to her fate.

She needed more time, for G-Force to find her.

For _Mark_ to find her.

Her eyes focused directly in front of her; a direction that turned out to be straight up. She was indeed on the floor of a large 'atrium', and directly above her was some kind of giant spiked device that was being lowered from the ceiling.

She took a better look at her surroundings, and suddenly she realized how macabre the situation truly was. She had been restrained in some kind of coffin, and the flat, spiked piece coming down at her was the lid.

She was literally going to be nailed to death in her own coffin.

But it wouldn't be her coffin if she could get out.

She stared at Captain Morloc, his vaguely bat-shaped form seeming to grow in size before her eyes as she struggled to push the drugs from her system and think of a plan.

He arm banged against the side of the coffin, and a desperate hope gripped her. Frantically, she moved her arm again, rhythmically banging it against her cage and transmitting an emergency signal on G-Force Secret Code. She had to warn the others that they should not rush into this. If she was going to die, they shouldn't risk capture themselves. She only hoped that it would reach the team in time, before it stopped transmitting.

At least, if Mark were coming, he wouldn't suffer the same fate that she had.

88888

The Eagle sat on a buckled stone floor in the remnants of a ruined building in yet another city destroyed by the unending waves of vicious flowers. He was surrounded by his teammates, as they waited anxiously for a sign from the one who was not there.

It was as close as he could get to Princess, but he needed to get closer. He needed to feel her in his arms, and know that everything was going to be as it had been before his father had slipped his poison into Princess' mind. Knowing that the Swan was alive had filled the Eagle with a terrifying hope: the tiniest of straws for him to grasp at, but one he wouldn't let go without having to be forcibly removed from it.

Very little was said, the tense atmosphere speaking for itself. Four grim faces stared blankly at the walls, a desperate anticipation their only coherent emotion.

In answer to the Commander's silent prayers, a beeping sound echoed through the rubble.

"It's Princess, signaling!" Mark cried, his expression transforming from one of grim expectation to one of joyous hope.

"Right on the beam, Mark." Jason agreed, a grin spreading across his face.

"Breep… broop… got it."

But while the others were smiling, Mark looked down at his communicator again, and noticed something different about the transmission he was receiving.

Jason, Tiny and Keyop's communicators were simply flashing a general locator signal. But his wrist was receiving a message.

_Stay away. Trap_.

Instantly, the Commander knew what Princess was trying to do. If he had been the one captured, he might easily have been sending the same message.

"She's in trouble," he told the others. "We'll have to move fast."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The descent of the coffin lid was somewhat slower than Princess had expected, but perhaps that was simply an artifact of the alien narcotics in her system. Either that, or Captain Morloc was enjoying this, and wanted to prolong every second.

She didn't know which prospect was more horrifying.

She did her best to break free from her bonds, but the restraints were strongly attached to the sides of the coffin, and she was unable to do so. Her mind created a sudden illusion of the spikes touching her, and she screamed in fear, turning away, although the lid was actually still a few feet above her body. Whatever was going to happen to her, she suddenly knew that she couldn't do it alone.

Fortunately, she wasn't alone.

A loud noise broke through her terror-fogged mind, and its familiarity jolted her back to temporary sanity.

It was the sound of metal tearing.

It was not something most people were used to hearing, as very few things could rip through a quantity of metal substantial enough to create such a cacophony of sound. But it was like music to Princess' ears.

It was the sound of the Phoenix entering the building.

The G-Force Team flew into the room, Mark and Jason attacking Spectran goons with uncharacteristic violence, while Keyop mopped up the few that managed to escape such devastation.

A mere second later, and Tiny was at her side, stopping the spiked lid with only his enormous strength; mangling it enough to arrest its decent a mere inch from her face, and enabling her to escape. She smiled gratefully as he then ripped off her restraints, setting her free.

The moment she had been released, Princess leapt into the air, grabbing a nearby pole and twisting around it, transmuting as she went. She flew through the air, noticing two goons gaping at her as she landed. The Swan quickly made short work of them, ensuring that there were no surviving witnesses to her transformation. With grim satisfaction, she realized that one of them was the effeminate goon who had been the primary architect of her 'questioning'. Zoltar would just have to do without the dubious 'pleasure' of the man's company, from now on.

The other Spectrans all appeared to be too busy to notice the disappearance of their 'captive'. They simply saw the approaching wave of attacking wings and fled. Within a few moments, there were only a few green-uniformed soldiers remaining, as well as a distraught Captain Morloc.

The Eagle approached the bat-winged man, a cold fury in his eyes, the like of which Princess had never seen before. He grabbed Morloc by the throat, an accusatory glare slashing through the Spectran Captain's face.

"Spare me, Commander!" Morloc begged, staining his pants in fear. A puddle began to grow at his feet.

"I shouldn't." Mark spat through gritted teeth. "But go ahead, get your men out of here."

The Swan had never seen this expression on her Commander's face before. Usually, Mark felt sorry for the soldiers they fought, and generally wanted to give them a chance to escape.

But not on this particular occasion. This time, the Swan could tell by the Eagle's menacing countenance that he would love nothing more than to tear the Spectran Captain limb from limb. It was only the most tenuous of holds on his sense of honor that kept him from doing so.

"Thank you, Commander!" Morloc gasped gratefully, ignoring his men as he ran off. But instead of fleeing the base, he merely ran around the corner, initiating a transmission on his portable communications device. The Eagle's enhanced hearing allowed him to listen in on a report that the Spectran Captain had probably not intended for the G-Force Commander to hear.

"Lord Zoltar," his voice whispered furiously, "the Rigan informant was wrong! It was _not_ the one known as Princess! The Swan has arrived with the rest of the G-Force Team! No wonder the torture revealed nothing…"

Morloc's speech was cut off by the sharp sound of a Sonic Boomerang slicing through his neck. The Commander had moved around the corner, and Mark now stood trembling with anger as he caught the bloody weapon on its return to his hand.

"Torture…?" he whispered.

The others were joyously greeting Princess, ecstatic to have her amongst them once again. The Commander turned to face the happy reunion, still grappling with what he had just heard.

Princess saw him, stepping forward, a smile of intense relief and happiness on her face.

"Hi, Mark…" she whispered, a myriad of emotions revealed in those two innocuous words. But her expression turned to one of concern as she saw the anger that still boiled within the Eagle.

"Good to have you back, Princess." he replied automatically, his brain still attempting to process what he had heard from the Spectran Captain and correlate it with the image of his Swan standing before him.

She reached out, tentatively, concern written across her face.

"Mark…?"

It was like a cold slap in the face. She was back, she was safe, and despite her ordeal, she was only concerned about _him_. Choking off a sob, Mark roughly pulled Princess into his embrace.

"I'm fine, Princess." he reassured her. "Now that you're back where you belong."

Something snapped within the Swan then, and her tension-filled body suddenly relaxed in his arms, as if she had been operating on adrenaline alone, and the surge had instantly faded. Mark supported her as the team searched the base, checking for any further signs of Spectran incursion. Despite the fact that enemy bases were rarely left intact, it was standard procedure to perform this task in such an event. The Commander reported briefly to Chief Anderson, informing him of Princess' rescue.

At the end of a long tunnel the G-Force Team came across an opening in the hillside that looked out upon the ruined city below them. Red jets streaked above their position, dropping the Chief's newly-developed chemical bomb on the flowers, destroying them as they writhed in agony.

Mark stepped forward for a moment, leaving the rest of the team behind him as he saw the planes race by. His father was in one of them, he knew, and he resented that the man was even peripherally involved in this mission.

_The Rigan informant was wrong…_

The Spectran Captain's words came back to the Commander like a speeding bullet, burying themselves in his brain as the Eagle stared at the Red Ranger Team in action. A terrible thought passed through his mind.

No.

That couldn't be. Even his father was not _that_ inhuman.

The Commander did his best to shake off the insidious thought. Chief Anderson would have to be informed about this traitor among Earth's closest allies, and that would be the end of it.

As he returned to Princess, he saw her stumble slightly, and the Eagle ordered a quick return to the Phoenix, with only a brief stop to plant the usual detonation charges. Princess smiled softly to herself as they boarded the warship, and Mark had never seen a more beautiful sight. The Spectran base exploded as they departed, the red-orange light on the viewscreen flickering on the Swan's visor and reflecting in her emerald eyes. She sighed regretfully, then turned back to her station.

It was only then, that Princess collapsed.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

When the Swan fell from her chair, the Eagle was there to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Tiny, we need to get back to Center Neptune, _now_!" he shouted, his order carrying with it his undertone of fear. Instinctively, the Owl responded, pushing the Phoenix to its limits and beyond, while calling out their estimated time of arrival to the Eagle.

"Three point four minutes, Commander!" he reported.

But for Mark, that was about three minutes too long.

Although the journey was brief, it stretched out into a long, excruciating torture for Mark; watching helplessly as Princess moaned and thrashed about, while Jason unsuccessfully attempted to bring her back to consciousness and Keyop hovered anxiously above the group. Every little sound, every little movement Princess made, brought home to the Commander that he had failed to protect her, and their child.

Had Princess survived the fire, only to fall victim to something even more dreadful?

Mark would _not_ let that happen.

As soon as the Phoenix had entered her Docking Bay at Center Neptune, Mark gathered Princess gently into his arms, rising up on the elevation platform and into the dome, watching the water recede from the room all too slowly. The moment the top of the ship was clear the dome retracted, and a few seconds later the Eagle flew through the air, splashing through the last six inches of water before exiting via the main doors and rushing toward the Medical Center.

As he looked down, the Eagle saw a bright red stain on the Swan's thighs, her skin nearly as pale as her boots.

Blood.

The Commander's mind was not able to process _where_ the blood was coming from, but its presence increased his sense of urgency and he increased his speed accordingly, bursting through the doors to Center Neptune's internal hospital barely four minutes after the Swan had collapsed.

Princess was immediately taken from his arms, and Mark sank into a nearby chair, despair entrenching itself firmly around his heart.

All he could do now, was wait.

88888

Almost an hour later, there was news. Chief Anderson was called in to see the Chief Medical Officer, and despite his vigorous protests the Commander was _not_ allowed to accompany him.

Five minutes later, a nurse told the Eagle that he could join them, and a now de-transmuted Mark rushed to do so. He entered the office into which Anderson had been ushered. Surprisingly, the Chief was alone.

"How is Princess?" the Commander asked immediately, his tone demanding an immediate answer. "Can I see her?"

"Princess is resting comfortably." Chief Anderson informed him. "You can see her when she wakes up. Apparently the Spectrans pumped her full of a strange cocktail of drugs. Many of them are compounds we've never seen before."

"But is she all right?" Mark asked, his concern etched deeply into every line of his face.

"Yes." the Chief confirmed. "The Medical Staff has managed to remove most of the drugs from her system, and the rest should dissipate, with the help of her cerebonics, in the next couple of hours."

The Eagle sighed audibly, visibly relaxing for the first time since before the Swan had been captured by Spectra.

"There is something else, however." Anderson said regretfully. Mark's head immediately snapped up, despite the low volume of the Chief's voice.

"This mix of drugs had an unintended side effect." Anderson said, a chill hanging on his every word. "It seems that Princess has suffered a miscarriage."

The Commander's face drained of blood as he processed the information he was being given. Tears came to his eyes and he angrily brushed them away. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.

There was nothing for him to say.

"I can see, by your reaction, that my initial supposition was correct." noted Anderson. "You were the father."

It was not a question, but rather a statement, and the Eagle nodded, confirming what his foster father already knew.

"Yes."

"How far along was she?" Anderson asked.

"About seven weeks." Mark replied blankly, his emotions fully involved with mourning the child he had never had a chance to know.

"You never said anything."

Although his words and tone were factual, the Chief's face bore an accusatory expression. Mark rushed to explain.

"We didn't want her to be removed from active duty, just yet." the Commander said quickly. "And we thought it would be better if we got married, first."

"You're married?" William Anderson sat bolt upright, his eyebrows practically flying off of his face.

"Not yet." Mark hurried to reply. "But we were planning on it."

"I see." the Chief said, his face returning to its more usual staid expression.

"There's something I should confess to as well, Mark." he said quietly, leaning forward and rubbing his fingers against his temples. "I am Princess' uncle."

"Her uncle?" It was Mark's turn to be surprised.

"Her only remaining blood relation." Anderson continued. "Princess is my sister's child."

"She never said anything about it." The Commander was astounded.

"She doesn't know." the Chief revealed. "She knows that she was adopted by my parents, when her mother died in childbirth. She also knows that after my parents passed on, I became her guardian." Anderson took a deep breath before finishing his confession.

"What she doesn't know is _why_."

"That's a question I have to ask, as well." Mark said. "Why didn't you ever tell her? She would want to know. I have a father who abandoned me and my dying mother; a father who has manipulated and emotionally abused me for the last few years. I suspect that Princess feels abandoned and emotionally abused as well. You need to explain to her that she is not."

"I can't do that." Anderson said, turning away. "If it got out that she was my niece… my blood relation… Spectra could target her _in her civilian form_. She would _never_ be safe from the threat of attack. She would have to live within the protection of Galaxy Security for as long as the war goes on, just as I do. And I know how much she values the little freedom she has."

The Commander nodded slowly, not completely agreeing with the Chief's logic, but understanding his reasons.

"So, then, why did you tell me?"

"I told you, Mark, because I want you to fully understand my emotional investment in Princess when I tell you that I do _not_ want her getting pregnant again."

"What?"

"She was not supposed to be able to conceive, nor were you supposed to be able to impregnate her." Anderson explained. "Your implants were adjusted to deal with that possibility. What they didn't account for, and weren't prepared to deal with, was the surge of hormones you both experienced over the last few weeks."

"You mean... when…" the Commander's face reddened.

"Yes." answered the Chief dryly. "You will both be undergoing some adjustments to your implant tuning. The Cerebonics Team will be taking the appropriate steps to ensure that it doesn't happen again. At least… not while she is still a member of the G-Force Team."

"I understand." Mark nodded. "That issue was difficult for us to come to grips with as well." The Eagle's face was drawn, the loss of his unborn child clearly at the forefront of his mind.

"But, after the war is over, we _do_ want children."

Anderson nodded quietly, steepling his fingers underneath his chin as he processed this statement.

"Then, this…" the Chief searched for words, "whatever this is, between you… it is _serious_, then?"

The Eagle's glare was all of the response William Anderson needed.

"Good," the Chief replied sternly, "because if you _ever_ hurt Princess…"

The Commander nodded curtly, comprehending what the man in front of him was trying to say.

"You don't have to worry about that, Sir. _Ever_."

The last word was emphasized so strongly that any remaining doubts Chief Anderson might have had vanished completely.

Everything Thom Cronus had told him was true.

And William Anderson couldn't have been more pleased about it.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

William Anderson sat back heavily in his chair. He had just finished reading the Swan's report of her capture, as well as the Commander's report of her rescue, and he had a nagging hunch that wouldn't go away. He had no proof, and God help him, he didn't want any.

But as the Galaxy Security Chief of the Federation, it was his _job_ to know.

Sighing heavily, Chief Anderson initiated an interplanetary communication on a secure channel.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Thom Cronus asked sarcastically as he answered.

"This call is _not_ a pleasure." Anderson replied grimly. "I have some news for you. It seems that you were right."

"I know."

There was no need for further elaboration. Both men knew exactly _which_ topic was under discussion.

"So what are you going to do about it?" the Colonel demanded.

"Nothing." replied Anderson calmly. "They deserve a bit of happiness in their lives. I'm convinced that this is very serious, and Mark is completely devoted to Princess."

The Chief smiled thinly, knowing that he really _shouldn't_ be enjoying the Colonel's discomfort, but reveling in it all the same.

"I see."

The tone of the Red Ranger Captain's voice spoke volumes about his opinion on the Chief's acceptance of the situation.

"There's something else." Anderson said, knowing that he had the Colonel's full attention. "When Princess was captured by the Spectrans, she was tortured. They gave her all kinds of alien drugs, and this unfortunately resulted in a miscarriage."

"What?" The Colonel's face turned a violent shade of purple as he sputtered his outrage. "I thought you had taken care of that possibility!"

"I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation." Anderson replied coldly. "Because Princess was captured by the Spectrans and drugged for questioning, _your grandchild_ died."

There was only a stony silence from the Colonel.

"Even more disturbing," the Chief continued, "is that the _only_ reason she was even captured, was because the Spectrans _knew_ where she was." Chief Anderson steeled himself for the Colonel's reaction to his next statement.

"There was an informant."

Cronus remained silent, his apoplectic expression speaking volumes.

"A _Rigan_ informant."

The Red Ranger Captain continued to withhold any kind of verbal response.

"Apparently, someone on Riga contacted Spectran Intelligence and told them that the Swan of G-Force was wearing a protective shield, and was within the remains of the flowers destroyed by the fire."

The Colonel still did not speak, but his angry glare tore the Galaxy Security Chief to shreds.

"Which is odd, considering that it is _your_ job to ensure that there are no Spectrans on Riga." Anderson noted in a seemingly casual tone. "I believe you told me, just two days ago, that your planet was completely secure?"

Cronus' eyes bulged out of his head, and Anderson almost thought that he saw steam coming out of the Colonel's ears.

"I did." the Red Ranger Captain confirmed through gritted teeth.

"And is that _still_ the case?" the Chief pressed.

The Colonel swallowed hard, a hint of nervousness beginning to creep across his angry features. He was caught between a rock and a hard place, and both men knew it.

"It is." Cronus finally confirmed.

"So that leads me to the question," the Chief continued, "of _which_ Rigan citizen has defected to the Spectrans."

"_Defected_ is a rather harsh term, Anderson." Cronus huffed.

The Chief ignored the Colonel's protest.

"As far as I know, there was only _one_ Rigan who knew that Princess was in those flowers, wearing that synthetic second skin."

Thom Cronus visibly quailed under William Anderson's angry accusation.

"I… I would have to check that." the Colonel hedged.

"I see." the Chief's voice was grim. "I _hope_ that this does not happen _again_, lest I have to take more _drastic_ measures than leaving the matter in your 'capable' hands."

The communication ended abruptly, and William Anderson's fists clenched in anger.

He had been right.

He had been right, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

_Damn_.

88888

Thom Cronus ranted and raved at the top of his lungs, creating dents in the wall that the Condor would have been proud of as he vented his frustrations at the situation in which he found himself.

His son was bonded to Anderson's niece. His plan to get rid of the mongrel bitch had failed.

Even worse, Anderson was onto him. Fortunately, he had covered his tracks well, and couldn't be publicly accused.

But he would be watched, which meant that he would have to accept that Mark and Princess were going to be together.

And there wasn't _anything_ he could do about it.

_Damn_.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

It was about a week later when Mark escorted Princess back to her quarters at Center Neptune, gently leading her down the hallways of the underwater complex.

"So, Medical says that you have completely recovered?" he asked, obviously concerned.

As they reached Princess' quarters she pressed her hand against the wall panel, opening the door.

"Completely." she smiled, as they lingered in the doorway. "Apparently my cerebonics cut my healing time by seventy-five percent Amazing things, those implants."

She paused suddenly, an expression of intense regret crossing her face.

"If only they could have also saved our child." she whispered, her palm pressing against her flat stomach.

"I'll never forget this baby," Mark told her, his arms encircling her from behind to surround her with the emotional support she required, "but we will have other children, once the war is over. I promise you that, Princess."

"I want that too, Mark." she sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I'm just glad you're okay." Mark continued, squeezing her waist. "The entire time you were gone, I was living a nightmare, especially when we thought you had…" His voice trailed off, and now it was the Eagle who needed emotional reassurance, as the unpleasant memory stirred up the terrible days he had had to endure without the Swan.

"I'm just sorry I can't say the same about our baby." Princess said quietly. "I feel like I lost our child before I even had a chance to get used to the idea of being a mother. "

"We'll get through this, Princess." Mark said, turning her around and taking her hands in his. "_Together_."

Princess nodded and then embraced him happily, snuggling into the strong arms she had always trusted to keep her safe. In combat, she was a match for any man, but emotionally, she was in desperate need of the support only Mark could give her.

The Commander smiled at her for a moment, then shuffled his feet nervously.

"Well, uh, I guess I should be going."

"Why?" Princess asked, surprised. "I'd like you to stay, Mark."

"Well, uh…" the Eagle was clearly ill at ease. "I wouldn't want to hurt you… after what you've been through…"

"Mark," Princess laughed softly, gathering the Commander's Number One shirt in her fist and pulling his face down to hers. "Didn't I just say that I was _completely_ recovered?"

A look of understanding dawned in the Commander's eyes.

"_Completely_?"

"Clearance obtained from the Chief Medical Officer himself." the Swan smiled.

"Then why didn't you say so before?" Mark grinned, sweeping Princess into his arms and carrying her inside the darkened room. The door closed with a soft hiss behind them.

"It's been torture, being close to you, but not being able to touch you." he whispered, feeling her tremble with excitement.

"For me too." she replied softly. "I was able to hold back, but only just. It's been far too long…"

Mark leaned his head down, kissing her gently. The contact was lingering and sweet, as if they were kissing her for the first time. They were committing to each other in an entirely new way, starting a life together that would be something of _their_ making, and nobody else's.

Mark carefully laid Princess down on the bed, swiftly removing his own clothes before divesting her of her garments, until she lay naked before his hungry gaze.

Her peaches and cream perfection nearly blinded him, and he was completely overcome by his emotions for her; that such an incredible woman could love him with all of her heart and soul.

Princess studied Mark through heavy-lidded eyes, marveling at the way in which her fantasies had come to life. She wanted nothing to come between them ever again.

"Princess, you're so beautiful." he murmured, running his hands lightly over her soft skin. His actions apologized for his clumsy words, the contact creating an electric sensation that lit up her body, causing her to practically glow wherever he had touched her.

"I'm lucky to have such a wonderful lover." she sighed. "Any beauty I have is only my happiness showing through."

"You'll _always_ be beautiful, Princess." Mark said. It was both a compliment, and a promise.

The Swan reached up, grasping the Eagle's face in her hands and bringing it to hers. This kiss was demanding and needy, as she sought for the intense pleasure that only he could offer her. He gladly joined with her in that search, moaning as her fingers began to tease at his bare, muscled flesh.

"Let me show you how much I missed you." he whispered, massaging her body with long, hard strokes, smoothing her satin skin beneath his calloused palms, until she was writhing with excitement.

"Oh, Mark, please… _now_…" she begged prettily.

"Not until I have finished, my Princess." he smiled. It was only his delight at her response to his touch that kept him from taking her right then.

But that would be _much_ too soon. The Commander wanted to prolong this intimacy as long as possible.

The Eagle paused for a moment, seeing the amused impatience flashing in the Swan's emerald eyes.

"You are the one who has been through an ordeal." he determined. "_You_ are the one who needs special treatment, without concern for anyone else."

Casually, Mark bent down, picking up Princess' red and white-striped pants from the floor. She watched him with curious anticipation, not knowing what was about to happen.

"Turn around, my little Swan." Mark grinned, quickly rotating Princess so that her head lay at the bottom of the bed and her feet lay on her pillow. Before the surprised Swan could react, the Eagle bound her wrists with her own pants, then secured them to the footboard of the bed.

"I don't want you interrupting me, just when things are getting good." he grinned cheekily.

Princess sputtered in amused outrage, but her feeble protests were quickly drowned out as Mark began to thoroughly kiss her, eliciting a pleasant longing inside of her that spread down all of the way to her toes.

"I don't think this is a mandated use for Birdstyle, Commander." she flirted.

"I guess we'll have to keep quiet about this, then." Mark murmured. "Now be still. I have to concentrate."

The thought of exactly _what_ Mark wanted to concentrate on sent shivers down Princess' spine. She pouted prettily, silently urging him to begin.

She didn't have long to wait.

Slowly, Mark began moving his mouth over her body, her creamy softness melting on his tongue as he moved his body to reach every part of her. His leisured pace teased her as he slid his head from her neck to her stomach, straddling her so that her soft breasts were pressed against his abdomen, while his tongue flicked out to brush the core of her femininity.

Princess cried out, all awareness of reality gone, but for the delightful sensations Mark was creating in her most private self. Unconsciously she struggled against her bonds, but was unable to work her hands free to touch him. Instead, she moaned her frustrations loudly, encouraging the Eagle onward in his passionate pursuits.

He shifted, and suddenly Princess realized how Mark was lying on top of her. His backside rose up and…

Princess knew what she could do to get her own back.

The Eagle was greedily tasting the Swan's honeyed flesh when he suddenly felt a warm wetness enclosing his length. He groaned, his lusts burgeoning immediately, glancing back to see a still-bound Swan taking full advantage of the opportunity her unwitting Commander had presented to her.

"Princess, stop…" he gasped, "I can't hold on…"

But the naughty Swan only increased her attentions, and the Eagle felt powerless to move away, despite his lack of physical restraint.

Yet… he looked back to see her rosy femininity teasingly covered with dew. He immediately decided that if she could distract him, then he could certainly do the same for her.

He lowered his mouth again, drinking deeply, causing her soft flesh to quiver even as she suckled on his masculinity, leading him to the brink and encouraging him onward.

The two lovers reached the pinnacle of their passions together, their lusts culminating in an explosion of sweetness and desire.

Mark collapsed on top of Princess, shaking from the aftermath of the powerful moment they had just experienced together, Slowly, he slid off of her body, crumpling next to her, completely drained by their passionate encounter.

The only sound was of Princess' ragged breathing as she too recovered from something she could never have imagined.

"Mark…" she gasped, unable to put words to the intense emotions that were taking over her body.

"I feel the same way." he smiled, reaching up to kiss her eagerly. "I love you, Princess."

"I love you, Mark." she replied, eagerly submitting to this new assault his lips were beginning upon hers.

"Now that I've had a moment to recover, I think it's time to teach you a lesson." he grinned, a wicked gleam in his eye. "I told you that you weren't supposed to worry about me."

"Damn you and your stupid rules, Commander!" Princess replied, winking saucily at him before she pulled her body upward so that her head was next to her wrist.

"Transmute!" she cried, nearly causing the startled Commander to fall to the floor.

Princess' nearby clothes glowed and transformed to her Birdstyle. Her helmet materialized next to where her t-shirt had been, gloves appearing alongside it, even as her shoes were replaced by her thigh-high white boots. The Swan's arms shimmered, and she easily pulled her hands from the short pink minidress that was loosely wrapped around them.

Before the Eagle could react, she threw the dress around his neck, pulling him close to her as she sat up.

"I enjoy games." she lectured, "but I _always_ want to play on fair terms. Understood?"

"Understood!" Mark gasped, excited to witness this previously unseen side of Princess. "Your wish is my command!"

"Exactly what I hoped you would say." she purred, tossing her dress to the floor and pushing his chest with both palms flat, so that he collapsed back onto the bed.

"Now, it is _our_ turn to achieve our pleasure _together_." she informed him, rising up to straddle the Commander before she slowly impaled herself upon his raging masculinity.

The Eagle closed his eyes, soaring through the sky as the Swan led him high above the clouds, drifting inside of their whirlwind tornado of desire as their movements became increasingly frenzied and wild.

The haunting cry of the Fiery Phoenix escaped from the Swan's lips, mingling with the Eagle's shout of exultation as they simultaneously peaked, vulnerable to each other, yet drawing great strength from their shared closeness.

As they lay together in the aftermath of their intimacy, a tangled mass of intertwined limbs and heaving chests, they were grateful for the chance they had been given to live their lives together as one, bonded together for life. Their relationship had evolved beyond friendship, into something so much more.

_Something they would always cherish._


End file.
